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Related Concept Videos

Ionic Crystal Structures02:42

Ionic Crystal Structures

Ionic crystals consist of two or more different kinds of ions that usually have different sizes. The packing of these ions into a crystal structure is more complex than the packing of metal atoms that are the same size.
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...
Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Stoichiometric Point Defects01:26

Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Stoichiometric Point Defects

Schottky defects arise when some lattice points in a crystal, such as those in NaCl, remain unoccupied, creating lattice vacancies without disturbing the overall electrical neutrality of the crystal. This defect is common in ionic crystals where the positive and negative ions are similar in size, as seen in sodium chloride and cesium chloride. The presence of Schottky defects enables the crystal to conduct electricity to a small extent through an ionic mechanism. Electric fields cause nearby...
Determination of Crystal Structures01:29

Determination of Crystal Structures

In the late 1800s, the revelation that light extended beyond visible wavelengths led to the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen. Recognized as high-energy electromagnetic radiation with short wavelengths, X-rays prompted exploration into their interaction with crystals. Max von Laue proposed in 1912 that the periodic arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in crystals would cause them to diffract X-rays, a hypothesis confirmed through experiments with copper sulfate and zinc sulfide...
Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Non-Stoichiometric Defects01:29

Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Non-Stoichiometric Defects

Non-stoichiometric defects refer to a type of defect in the crystal structure of a compound where the ratio of its constituent elements deviates from the ideal stoichiometric ratio. There are two main types of non-stoichiometric defects: metal excess defects and metal deficiency defects.Metal excess defects occur when there is a slight surplus of metal ions than what is required by the stoichiometric ratio of the compound. For example, heating a sodium chloride crystal in sodium vapor results...
Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes02:58

Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes

Crystal Field Theory
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...
Unit Cells01:18

Unit Cells

A crystal's internal structure is an orderly array of atoms, ions, or molecules, and the details of this array significantly influence the solid's properties. In a crystal, periodically repeating 'structural motifs' - which could be atoms, molecules, or groups thereof - create a 'space lattice.' This is essentially a three-dimensional, infinite array of points, each surrounded by its neighbors in an identical way, forming the basic structure of the crystal.A 'unit cell' is a theoretical...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

Atom Probe Tomography Analysis of Exsolved Mineral Phases
08:14

Atom Probe Tomography Analysis of Exsolved Mineral Phases

Published on: October 25, 2019

Vaterite crystals contain two interspersed crystal structures.

Lee Kabalah-Amitai1, Boaz Mayzel, Yaron Kauffmann

  • 1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|April 27, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Vaterite, a calcium carbonate polymorph, was found to be composed of at least two coexisting crystallographic structures. This discovery resolves a century-long mystery surrounding vaterite

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Atom Probe Tomography Analysis of Exsolved Mineral Phases
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Calcium Carbonate Formation in the Presence of Biopolymeric Additives
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Calcium Carbonate Formation in the Presence of Biopolymeric Additives

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Area of Science:

  • Crystallography and Materials Science
  • Geochemistry and Mineralogy
  • Biomineralization

Background:

  • Calcite, aragonite, and vaterite are anhydrous polymorphs of calcium carbonate, with decreasing thermodynamic stability.
  • Vaterite, though rare in geology, is a crucial precursor in carbonate systems and biomineralization.
  • The precise crystal structure of vaterite has remained undetermined for nearly a century due to challenges in obtaining pure, large single crystals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the long-standing mystery of vaterite's crystal structure.
  • To investigate the microstructural characteristics of vaterite using advanced imaging techniques.

Main Methods:

  • Aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) was employed.
  • Analysis focused on characterizing the crystallographic nature of vaterite samples.

Main Results:

  • Vaterite is not a single crystallographic structure but a pseudo-single crystal composed of at least two distinct structures.
  • A major hexagonal structure was identified.
  • A minor, unknown crystallographic structure exists as nanodomains within the major vaterite matrix.

Conclusions:

  • The study reveals that vaterite's structure is more complex than previously assumed.
  • The coexistence of multiple crystallographic phases within vaterite challenges existing models.
  • Further research is needed to determine the structure of the minor nanodomains.