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Zahorán R, Kumar P, Deák Á, Lantos E, Horváth D, Tóth Á. From Balloon to Crystalline Structure in the Calcium Phosphate Flow-Driven Chemical Garden. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:5078-5083. [PMID: 36972336 PMCID: PMC10100542 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c00079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
We have studied the calcium phosphate precipitation reaction by producing chemical gardens in a controlled manner using a three-dimensional flow-driven technique. The injection of the phosphate containing solution into the calcium ion reservoir has resulted in structures varying from membranes to crystals. Dynamical phase diagrams are constructed by varying chemical composition and flow rates from which three different growth mechanisms have been revealed. The microstructural analysis by scanning electron microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction confirmed the morphological transition from membrane tubes to crystalline branches upon decreasing pH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Réka Zahorán
- Department
of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Szeged, Rerrich Béla tér 1, Szeged H-6720, Hungary
| | - Pawan Kumar
- Department
of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Szeged, Rerrich Béla tér 1, Szeged H-6720, Hungary
| | - Ágota Deák
- Department
of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, Interdisciplinary Excellence
Centre, University of Szeged, Aradi sq. 1, Szeged 6720, Hungary
| | - Emese Lantos
- Department
of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Szeged, Rerrich Béla tér 1, Szeged H-6720, Hungary
| | - Dezső Horváth
- Department
of Applied and Environmental Chemistry, University of Szeged, Rerrich Béla tér 1, Szeged H-6720, Hungary
| | - Ágota Tóth
- Department
of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Szeged, Rerrich Béla tér 1, Szeged H-6720, Hungary
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Nogueira JA, Batista BC, Cooper MA, Steinbock O. Shape Evolution of Precipitate Membranes in Flow Systems. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:1471-1478. [PMID: 36745753 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c08433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Chemical gardens are macroscopic structures that form when a salt seed is submerged in an alkaline solution. Their thin precipitate membranes separate the reactant partners and slow down the approach toward equilibrium. During this stage, a gradual thickening occurs, which is driven by steep cross-membrane gradients and governed by selective ion transport. We study these growth dynamics in microfluidic channels for the case of Ni(OH)2 membranes. Fast flowing reactant solutions create thickening membranes of a nearly constant width along the channel, whereas slow flows produce wedge-shaped structures that fail to grow along their downstream end. The overall dynamics and shapes are caused by the competition of reactant consumption and transport replenishment. They are reproduced quantitatively by a two-variable reaction-diffusion-advection model which provides kinetic insights into the growth of precipitate membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica A Nogueira
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida32306-4390, United States
| | - Bruno C Batista
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida32306-4390, United States
| | - Maggie A Cooper
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida32306-4390, United States
| | - Oliver Steinbock
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida32306-4390, United States
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Ding Y, Gutiérrez-Ariza CM, Zheng M, Felgate A, Lawes A, Sainz-Díaz CI, Cartwright JHE, Cardoso SSS. Downward fingering accompanies upward tube growth in a chemical garden grown in a vertical confined geometry. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:17841-17851. [PMID: 35851594 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp01862d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Chemical gardens are self-assembled structures of mineral precipitates enabled by semi-permeable membranes. To explore the effects of gravity on the formation of chemical gardens, we have studied chemical gardens grown from cobalt chloride pellets and aqueous sodium silicate solution in a vertical Hele-Shaw cell. Through photography, we have observed and quantitatively analysed upward growing tubes and downward growing fingers. The latter were not seen in previous experimental studies involving similar physicochemical systems in 3-dimensional or horizontal confined geometry. To better understand the results, further studies of flow patterns, buoyancy forces, and growth dynamics under schlieren optics have been carried out, together with characterisation of the precipitates with scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry. In addition to an ascending flow and the resulting precipitation of tubular filaments, a previously not reported descending flow has been observed which, under some conditions, is accompanied by precipitation of solid fingering structures. We conclude that the physics of both the ascending and descending flows are shaped by buoyancy, together with osmosis and chemical reaction. The existence of the descending flow might highlight a limitation in current experimental methods for growing chemical gardens under gravity, where seeds are typically not suspended in the middle of the solution and are confined by the bottom of the vessel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Ding
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, West Cambridge Site, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, UK.
| | - Carlos M Gutiérrez-Ariza
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Granada, Avenida de las Palmeras, 4, E-18100 Armilla, Granada, Spain.
| | - Mingchuan Zheng
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, West Cambridge Site, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, UK.
| | - Amy Felgate
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, West Cambridge Site, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, UK.
| | - Anna Lawes
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, West Cambridge Site, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, UK.
| | - C Ignacio Sainz-Díaz
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Granada, Avenida de las Palmeras, 4, E-18100 Armilla, Granada, Spain.
| | - Julyan H E Cartwright
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Granada, Avenida de las Palmeras, 4, E-18100 Armilla, Granada, Spain. .,Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Avenida de Fuente Nueva, s/n, E-18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Silvana S S Cardoso
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, West Cambridge Site, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, UK.
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Rocha LAM, Thorne L, Wong JJ, Cartwright JHE, Cardoso SSS. Archimedean Spirals Form at Low Flow Rates in Confined Chemical Gardens. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:6700-6710. [PMID: 35593590 PMCID: PMC9161446 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We describe and study the formation of confined chemical garden patterns. At low flow rates of injection of cobalt chloride solution into a Hele-Shaw cell filled with sodium silicate, the precipitate forms with a thin filament wrapping around an expanding "candy floss" structure. The result is the formation of an Archimedean spiral structure. We model the growth of the structure mathematically. We estimate the effective density of the precipitate and calculate the membrane permeability. We set the results within the context of recent experimental and modeling work on confined chemical garden filaments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A. M. Rocha
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3RA, U.K.
| | - Lewis Thorne
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3RA, U.K.
| | - Jasper J. Wong
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3RA, U.K.
| | - Julyan H. E. Cartwright
- Instituto
Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, CSIC−Universidad
de Granada, 18100 Armilla, Granada, Spain
- Instituto
Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Silvana S. S. Cardoso
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3RA, U.K.
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Rocha LAM, Cartwright JHE, Cardoso SSS. Filament dynamics in vertical confined chemical gardens. CHAOS (WOODBURY, N.Y.) 2022; 32:053107. [PMID: 35649986 DOI: 10.1063/5.0085834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
When confined to a Hele-Shaw cell, chemical gardens can grow as filaments, narrow structures with an erratic and tortuous trajectory. In this work, the methodology applied to studies with horizontal Hele-Shaw cells is adapted to a vertical configuration, thus introducing the effect of buoyancy into the system. The motion of a single filament tip is modeled by taking into account its internal pressure and the variation of the concentration of precipitate that constitutes the chemical garden membrane. While the model shows good agreement with the results, it also suggests that the concentration of the host solution of sodium silicate also plays a role in the growth of the structures despite being in stoichiometric excess.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A M Rocha
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3RA, United Kingdom
| | - Julyan H E Cartwright
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, CSIC-Universidad de Granada, 18100 Armilla, Granada, Spain
| | - Silvana S S Cardoso
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3RA, United Kingdom
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Emmanuel M, Lantos E, Horváth D, Tóth Á. Formation and growth of lithium phosphate chemical gardens. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:1731-1736. [PMID: 35156669 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm01808f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We show that a chemical garden can be developed from an alkaline metal precipitate using a flow-driven setup. By injecting sodium phosphate solution into lithium chloride solution from below, a liquid jet appears, on which a precipitate grows forming a structure resembling a hydrothermal vent. The precipitate column continuously builds upward until a maximum height is reached. The vertical growth then significantly slows down while the tube diameter still increases. The analysis of the growth profiles has revealed a linear dependence of volume growth rate on the injection rate, hence yielding a universal growth profile. The expansion in diameter, localized at the tip of the structure, scales with a power law suggesting that the phenomenon is controlled by both diffusion and convection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Emmanuel
- Department of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Szeged, Rerrich Béla tér 1., Szeged, H-6720, Hungary.
| | - Emese Lantos
- Department of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Szeged, Rerrich Béla tér 1., Szeged, H-6720, Hungary.
| | - Dezső Horváth
- Department of Applied and Environmental Chemistry, University of Szeged, Rerrich Béla tér 1., Szeged, H-6720, Hungary
| | - Ágota Tóth
- Department of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Szeged, Rerrich Béla tér 1., Szeged, H-6720, Hungary.
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