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Reigl S, Van Driessche AES, Ullrich T, Koltzenburg S, Kunz W, Kellermeier M. Organic solvent-free synthesis of calcium sulfate hemihydrate at room temperature. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024; 60:610-613. [PMID: 38099963 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc02552g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Calcium sulfate hemihydrate, also known as bassanite or Plaster of Paris, is one of the most extensively produced inorganic materials worldwide. Nowadays, bassanite is mainly obtained by thermal dehydration of calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum) - a process that consumes considerable amounts of energy and thus leaves a significant carbon footprint. Towards a more sustainable future, alternative technologies for bassanite production at low temperatures are therefore urgently required. While successful approaches involving organic solvents have been reported, we chose precipitation from aqueous solutions as a potentially even "greener" way of synthesis. In a previous work, we have shown that spontaneous formation of bassanite in water (in competition with thermodynamically favoured gypsum) can be achieved at 40 °C by the use of additives that maintain specific interactions with calcium sulfate precursors and modulate the local hydration household during crystallisation. The results of the present study demonstrate that bassanite can be obtained via simple precipitation from aqueous solutions at room temperature by the combination of additives acting through orthogonal mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selina Reigl
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstr. 31, Regensburg D-93040, Germany.
| | - Alexander E S Van Driessche
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (IACT), CSIC - University of Granada, Armilla E-18100, Granada, Spain
| | - Timo Ullrich
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstr. 31, Regensburg D-93040, Germany.
| | | | - Werner Kunz
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstr. 31, Regensburg D-93040, Germany.
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Galloway JM, Aslam ZP, Yeandel SR, Kulak A, Ilett MA, Kim YY, Bejarano-Villafuerte A, Pokroy B, Drummond-Brydson RM, Freeman CL, Harding JH, Kapur N, Meldrum FC. Electron transparent nanotubes reveal crystallization pathways in confinement. Chem Sci 2023; 14:6705-6715. [PMID: 37350829 PMCID: PMC10283488 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc00869j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The cylindrical pores of track-etched membranes offer excellent environments for studying the effects of confinement on crystallization as the pore diameter is readily varied and the anisotropic morphologies can direct crystal orientation. However, the inability to image individual crystals in situ within the pores in this system has prevented many of the underlying mechanisms from being characterized. Here, we study the crystallization of calcium sulfate within track-etched membranes and reveal that oriented gypsum forms in 200 nm diameter pores, bassanite in 25-100 nm pores and anhydrite in 10 nm pores. The crystallization pathways are then studied by coating the membranes with an amorphous titania layer prior to mineralization to create electron transparent nanotubes that protect fragile precursor materials. By visualizing the evolutionary pathways of the crystals within the pores we show that the product single crystals derive from multiple nucleation events and that orientation is determined at early reaction times. Finally, the transformation of bassanite to gypsum within the membrane pores is studied using experiment and potential mean force calculations and is shown to proceed by localized dissolution/reprecipitation. This work provides insight into the effects of confinement on crystallization processes, which is relevant to mineral formation in many real-world environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zabeada P Aslam
- Institute for Materials Research, School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Stephen R Yeandel
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering Sir Robert Hadfield Building, Mappin Street Sheffield S1 3JD UK
| | | | - Martha A Ilett
- Institute for Materials Research, School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Yi-Yeoun Kim
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | | | - Boaz Pokroy
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology Haifa 3200003 Israel
| | - Rik M Drummond-Brydson
- Institute for Materials Research, School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Colin L Freeman
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering Sir Robert Hadfield Building, Mappin Street Sheffield S1 3JD UK
| | - John H Harding
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering Sir Robert Hadfield Building, Mappin Street Sheffield S1 3JD UK
| | - Nikil Kapur
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
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Lauer AR, Hellmann R, Montes-Hernandez G, Findling N, Ling WL, Epicier T, Fernandez-Martinez A, Van Driessche AES. Deciphering strontium sulfate precipitation via Ostwald's rule of stages: From prenucleation clusters to solution-mediated phase tranformation. J Chem Phys 2023; 158:054501. [PMID: 36754828 DOI: 10.1063/5.0136870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple-step nucleation pathways have been observed during mineral formation in both inorganic and biomineral systems. These pathways can involve precursor aqueous species, amorphous intermediates, or metastable phases. Despite the widespread occurrence of these processes, elucidating the precise nucleation steps and the transformation mechanisms between each step remains a challenging task. Using a suite of potentiometric, microscopic, and spectroscopic tools, we studied the nucleation pathway of SrSO4 as a function of the physico-chemical solution parameters. Our observations reveal that below a threshold supersaturation, nucleation is driven by bound species, akin to the prenucleation cluster model, which directly leads to the formation of the stable phase celestine, SrSO4. At higher supersaturations, this situation is altered, with nucleation dominated by the consumption of free ions. Importantly, this change in nucleation mechanism is coupled to the formation of a hemihydrate metastable phase, SrSO4 · 1/2H2O, which eventually transforms into celestine, adhering to Ostwald's rule of stages. This transformation is a solution-mediated process, also occurring in the presence of a fluid film and is controlled by the physico-chemical parameters of the surrounding environment. It proceeds through the dissolution of the metastable phase and the de novo crystallization of the final phase. Overall, our results reveal that ion association taking place during the prenucleation stage dictates whether the nucleation pathway goes through an intermediate phase or not. This also underlines that although Ostwald's rule of stages is a common process, it is not a prerequisite for mineral formation-even in systems where it can occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- A R Lauer
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, ISTerre, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - R Hellmann
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, ISTerre, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - G Montes-Hernandez
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, ISTerre, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - N Findling
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, ISTerre, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - W L Ling
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, IBS, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - T Epicier
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, IRCELYON, umr CNRS 5256, 69626 Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - A Fernandez-Martinez
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, ISTerre, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - A E S Van Driessche
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, ISTerre, 38000 Grenoble, France
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Fu H, Li M, Huang J, Cao S, Lin J, Yuan M, Jiang G. Insights into the Role of Na + on the Transformation of Gypsum into α-Hemihydrate Whiskers in Alcohol-Water Systems. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:15570-15579. [PMID: 35571779 PMCID: PMC9096823 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c00347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol-water solution-mediated transformation of gypsum into α-hemihydrate (α-HH) whiskers provides a green alternative for the high-value-added recycling of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum. However, the role of non-lattice cations during the transformation is still unclear. We report an evolution from "boosting-retarding" to "boosting-retarding-boosting" and finally to "boosting only" effect of non-lattice Na+ functioned by the concentration of ethylene glycol (EG) in water solutions. The driving force increased almost linearly upon the introduction of Na+ through the formation of ion pairs, and a higher slope was obtained at a higher EG concentration. Adsorption of Na+ ions and solidification of eugsterite on gypsum surfaces blocked the nucleation sites of α-HH. The retarding effect first rapidly increased and gradually approached a limit, following a parabolic trend after Na+ ions were introduced. Pentasalt, with a structure similar to that of α-HH, precipitated on the gypsum surface at higher c(Na+). The interaction of the driving force and the structural evolution of calcium sulfate ionic clusters accounts for the evolution of transformation kinetics. The retardation zone was compressed with the increase in EG volume ratios, and a monotonic boosting effect upon Na+ was observed at a 35.0 vol % of EG. Nucleation kinetics dominates the aspect ratio of α-HH whiskers. This study may provide a significant guidance for the utilization of FGD gypsum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailu Fu
- Department
of Environmental Engineering, China Jiliang
University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Mengfan Li
- Department
of Environmental Engineering, China Jiliang
University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Jianshi Huang
- Department
of Environmental Engineering, China Jiliang
University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Shuang Cao
- Department
of Environmental Engineering, China Jiliang
University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Jilei Lin
- Department
of Environmental Engineering, China Jiliang
University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Mengxuan Yuan
- Department
of Environmental Engineering, China Jiliang
University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Guangming Jiang
- Engineering
Research Center for Waste Oil Recovery Technology and Equipment, Ministry
of Education, Chongqing Technology and Business
University, Chongqing 400067, China
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