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Published on: February 21, 2017
Aggregation-based crystal growth and microstructure development in natural iron oxyhydroxide biomineralization
J F Banfield1, S A Welch, H Zhang
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA. jill@geology.wisc.edu
Abstract:
Crystals are generally considered to grow by attachment of ions to inorganic surfaces or organic templates. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy of biomineralization products of iron-oxidizing bacteria revealed an alternative coarsening mechanism in which adjacent 2- to 3-nanometer particles aggregate and rotate so their structures adopt parallel orientations in three dimensions. Crystal growth is accomplished by eliminating water molecules at interfaces and forming iron-oxygen bonds. Self-assembly occurs at multiple sites, leading to a coarser, polycrystalline material. Point defects (from surface-adsorbed impurities), dislocations, and slabs of structurally distinct material are created as a consequence of this growth mechanism and can dramatically impact subsequent reactivity.
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