Crystallization and morphological control of calcium carbonate by functionalized triblock copolymers

A systematic investigation on the influence of a series of synthesized triblock copolymers (PEG- b-PAA- b-PS, poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(acrylic acid)-block-poly(styrene)) on the crystallization, morphology and size of CaCO 3 crystals was reported. The crystallization of vaterite is favored in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Colloids and surfaces. A, Physicochemical and engineering aspects Physicochemical and engineering aspects, 2010-02, Vol.355 (1), p.158-162
Main Authors: Su, Yunlan, Yang, Hengrui, Shi, Wenxiong, Guo, Hongxia, Zhao, Ying, Wang, Dujin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Block length
Calcium carbonate
Chemistry
Computer simulation
Exact sciences and technology
General and physical chemistry
Triblock copolymer
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Summary:A systematic investigation on the influence of a series of synthesized triblock copolymers (PEG- b-PAA- b-PS, poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(acrylic acid)-block-poly(styrene)) on the crystallization, morphology and size of CaCO 3 crystals was reported. The crystallization of vaterite is favored in the presence of copolymer 1 (PEG 112- b-PAA 40- b-PS 37), which strongly depends on the polymer concentration. The fraction of spherical vaterite increased with the increase of the concentrations of copolymer 1. The molecular dynamics minimized structure of copolymer 2 (PEG 112- b-PAA 18- b-PS 55) showed a close match between the spacings of the parallel-oriented carboxylate groups and the spacings of calcium ions in the calcite surface, which is favorable to the crystallization of calcite at all determined concentrations. The triblock copolymers could prohibit the phase transformation of vaterite to calcite, depending upon the block length of PAA middle segment and the concentration of the copolymers.
ISSN:0927-7757
1873-4359
DOI:10.1016/j.colsurfa.2009.12.002