Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Calcium Carbonate Formation in the Presence of Biopolymeric Additives
Published on: May 14, 2019
Characterization of calcium carbonate polymorphs with Ca K edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy
Shinjiro Hayakawa1, Yuki Hajima, Shan Qiao
1Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan. hayakawa@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
Abstract:
Ca K edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy was utilized for the characterization and quantification of calcium carbonate polymorphs and their mixtures. The advantage of the XAFS is the small sample quantity required for measurements, and a flexible sample environment. The near-edge XAFS spectra of calcite, aragonite and vaterite were measured with the conversion electron yield (CEY) method, and the obtained spectra showed characteristic features that can be utilized as fingerprints. The quantification of mixed polymorphs was examined by using a linear combination fitting of reference XAFS spectra. Though the quality of the fits was satisfactory, discrepancies in the evaluated values were observed between those with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and XAFS. The nonuniformity of samples may be enhanced by the surface sensitivity of the CEY method.
Related Concept Videos
Determination of Crystal Structures
X-ray Crystallography
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
Molecular Spectroscopy: Absorption and Emission
UV–Vis Spectroscopy: Molecular Electronic Transitions
IR and UV–Vis Spectroscopy of Carboxylic Acids
However, the stretching absorptions for the C=O bond vary depending on the structure of carboxylic acids. The C=O bond of the free carboxylic acids shows a higher stretching frequency, 1760 cm−1, while H-bonded carboxylic acids (dimers) exhibit stretching absorptions at a lower frequency, 1710 cm−1. The C=O bond of the...
Spectroscopy of Carboxylic Acid Derivatives
In the...

