Growth dynamics and amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation in natural nacre.

Otter, LM; Eder, K; Kilburn, MR; Yang, L; O'Reilly, P; Nowak, DB; Cairney, JM; Jacob, DE

Growth dynamics and amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation in natural nacre.

Otter, LM Eder, K Kilburn, MR Yang, L

O'Reilly, P Nowak, DB Cairney, JM Jacob, DE

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Publisher:: NATURE PORTFOLIO
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Nat Commun, 2023, 14, (1), pp. 2254
Issue Date:: 2023-04-20

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Otter, LM
dc.contributor.author	Eder, K
dc.contributor.author	Kilburn, MR
dc.contributor.author	Yang, L https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0123-1540
dc.contributor.author	O'Reilly, P
dc.contributor.author	Nowak, DB
dc.contributor.author	Cairney, JM
dc.contributor.author	Jacob, DE
dc.date.accessioned	2024-04-10T06:15:23Z
dc.date.available	2023-03-31
dc.date.available	2024-04-10T06:15:23Z
dc.date.issued	2023-04-20
dc.identifier.citation	Nat Commun, 2023, 14, (1), pp. 2254
dc.identifier.issn	2041-1723
dc.identifier.issn	2041-1723
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/177657
dc.description.abstract	Biominerals, such as nacreous bivalve shells, are important archives of environmental information. Most marine calcifiers form their shells from amorphous calcium carbonate, hypothesised to occur via particle attachment and stepwise crystallisation of metastable precursor phases. However, the mechanism of this transformation, including the incorporation of trace elements used for environmental reconstructions, are poorly constrained. Here, using shells of the Mediterranean mussel, we explore the formation of nacre from the meso- to the atomic scale. We use a combination of strontium pulse-chase labelling experiments in aquaculture and correlated micro- to sub-nanoscale analysis to show that nacre grows in a dynamic two-step process with extensional and space-filling growth components. Furthermore, we show that nacre crystallizes via localised dissolution and reprecipitation within nanogranules. Our findings elucidate how stepwise crystallization pathways affect trace element incorporation in natural biominerals, while preserving their intricate hierarchical ultrastructure.
dc.format	Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	NATURE PORTFOLIO
dc.relation.ispartof	Nat Commun
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1038/s41467-023-37814-0
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.title	Growth dynamics and amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation in natural nacre.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	14
utslib.location.activity	England
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CGT - Centre for Green Technology
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2024-04-10T06:15:17Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published online
pubs.volume	14
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

Biominerals, such as nacreous bivalve shells, are important archives of environmental information. Most marine calcifiers form their shells from amorphous calcium carbonate, hypothesised to occur via particle attachment and stepwise crystallisation of metastable precursor phases. However, the mechanism of this transformation, including the incorporation of trace elements used for environmental reconstructions, are poorly constrained. Here, using shells of the Mediterranean mussel, we explore the formation of nacre from the meso- to the atomic scale. We use a combination of strontium pulse-chase labelling experiments in aquaculture and correlated micro- to sub-nanoscale analysis to show that nacre grows in a dynamic two-step process with extensional and space-filling growth components. Furthermore, we show that nacre crystallizes via localised dissolution and reprecipitation within nanogranules. Our findings elucidate how stepwise crystallization pathways affect trace element incorporation in natural biominerals, while preserving their intricate hierarchical ultrastructure.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/177657