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Calcium Oxalate-Polyacrylic Acid Composites
Calciumoxalate hydrates represent common products of biomineralisation occuring e.g in the human body in the urine or as kidney stone. They are also found as minerals such as whewellite (monohydrate), weddellite (dihydrate) and caoxite (trihydrate). These hydrates are also present in plants such as dumb cane, rhubarb leaves, various species of Oxalis, Araceae, taro, kiwifruit, agaves, or spinach. Aggregates of calcium oxalate are found in plant stems, roots, and leaves. In our biomimetic approach we use polyacrylic acid (sodium salt) as well as agar and gelatine as organic and shape directing components resulting in various different morphologies.
Figure 1. Half-dumbbell of calcium oxalate dihydrate grown from aqueous solution in the presence of polyacrylate.
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