A structure-based argument for non-classical crystal growth in natural clay minerals
Evidence of crystallization by particle attachment in synthetic materials is described in numerous contributions. However, efforts to establish the contribution of the particle attachment mechanism to inorganic crystallization in natural environments have barely begun. Here, we show, for the first t...
| Autores: | , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2018 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) |
| Repositorio: | DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:digital.csic.es:10261/187052 |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/187052 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Crystal growth Sepiolite Palygorskite Kaolinite Clay minerals Oriented attachment Mesocrystal Aggregation |
| Sumario: | Evidence of crystallization by particle attachment in synthetic materials is described in numerous contributions. However, efforts to establish the contribution of the particle attachment mechanism to inorganic crystallization in natural environments have barely begun. Here, we show, for the first time, evidence that confirms oriented particle attachment as a crystal growth mechanism that is relevant in sedimentary environments. In these natural settings, oriented particle attachment operates during the formation of highly anisotropically structured clay minerals, which constitute one of the most extensively distributed groups of minerals in the Earth's crust. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy images show that the clay minerals aggregation process occurs in different manners. Smectites aggregate by semi-oriented attachment, while kaolinite, sepiolite and palygorskite aggregate by oriented attachment. |
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