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Facile synthesis of calcium carbonate with an absolutely pure crystal form using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dodecyl sulfate as the modifier

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Abstract

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanocrystals with controllable polymorph and morphology have been successfully synthesized with the aid of an effective control agent, a halogen-free, low-cost ionic liquid surfactant, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dodecylsulfate ([C4mim][C12SO4]) in a supersaturated aqueous solution. For the first time, facile preparation of pure lens-like vaterite, sheet-like calcite, and peanut-like aragonite was all achieved in the [C4mim][C12SO4] aqueous solution through changing the concentration, temperature, and initial pH value and adding magnesium ions. Washed by water and ethanol, all the aggregates were free of [C4mim][C12SO4] and can be stable at least 1 month in air. The crystal form of the aggregates changed from pure calcite to pure vaterite at room temperature only through increasing [C4mim][C12SO4] concentration. Formation of the ordered CaCO3 structures is mainly ascribed to the aggregation of the primary nanoparticles whose formation mechanism is related to the change of supersaturation. This study can provide a facile and environment-friendly method to fabricate CaCO3 crystal aggregates with various morphologies and polymorphs and can be used for large-scale industrial production and biomimetic synthesis.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province of China (no. ZR2011BM017), Scientific and Technological Projects of Shandong Province of China (no. 2009GG10003027), and Independent Innovation Foundation of Shandong University (IIFSDU) of China (no. 2009TS018).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Shandong University, Ministry of Education, Jinan, 250100, People’s Republic of China

    Yingyuan Zhao, Wei Du, Li Yu, Jingjing Jiao & Rui Wang

  2. Working Station for Postdoctoral Scientific Research in Shengli Oilfield, Dongying, 257002, People’s Republic of China

    Limei Sun

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  1. Yingyuan Zhao
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  2. Wei Du
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  3. Limei Sun
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  4. Li Yu
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Correspondence to Li Yu.

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Zhao, Y., Du, W., Sun, L. et al. Facile synthesis of calcium carbonate with an absolutely pure crystal form using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dodecyl sulfate as the modifier. Colloid Polym Sci 291, 2191–2202 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-013-2960-7

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