Additive-specific modulation of non-classical nucleation pathways

Additives, comprising small quantities of organic and inorganic molecules, are crucial for controlling the crystallisation of various (bio)materials; however, their mechanisms remain poorly understood. By integrating in situ high-energy X-ray scattering with potentiometric titrations, we examine the impact of industrially relevant additives on the nucleation pathways of portlandite and gypsum. While both minerals undergo multistep nucleation, portlandite transitions gradually from a disordered to an ordered phase, whereas gypsum exhibits an abrupt transition. These distinct non-classical pathways and their pH conditions correlate with the mineral-specific effects of the additives. Additive effects extend beyond the classical models, such as cation-binding, exerting influence primarily during the prenucleation stage. Moreover, additives demonstrate a dual role by simultaneously delaying and accelerating different stages of nucleation, highlighting their multifaceted impact on the crystallisation process. These findings offer insights for designing tailored additives to optimise industrial crystallisation processes and advance the understanding of biomineralisation mechanisms.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2026-01-22
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68583-1
Primary Topic
Calcium Carbonate Crystallization and Inhibition
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Additive-specific modulation of non-classical nucleation pathways

Martine Lanson, Marco Di Michiel, Alejandro Fernández-Martı́nez, Matthias Kellermeier et al.
Nature Communications
Calcium Carbonate Crystallization and Inhibition
article

Additive-specific modulation of non-classical nucleation pathways

Martine Lanson, Marco Di Michiel, Alejandro Fernández-Martı́nez, Matthias Kellermeier, Alexander E. S. Van Driessche, Annet Baken, Hegoi Manzano, Xavier M. Aretxabaleta
article en

Abstract

Additives, comprising small quantities of organic and inorganic molecules, are crucial for controlling the crystallisation of various (bio)materials; however, their mechanisms remain poorly understood. By integrating in situ high-energy X-ray scattering with potentiometric titrations, we examine the impact of industrially relevant additives on the nucleation pathways of portlandite and gypsum. While both minerals undergo multistep nucleation, portlandite transitions gradually from a disordered to an ordered phase, whereas gypsum exhibits an abrupt transition. These distinct non-classical pathways and their pH conditions correlate with the mineral-specific effects of the additives. Additive effects extend beyond the classical models, such as cation-binding, exerting influence primarily during the prenucleation stage. Moreover, additives demonstrate a dual role by simultaneously delaying and accelerating different stages of nucleation, highlighting their multifaceted impact on the crystallisation process. These findings offer insights for designing tailored additives to optimise industrial crystallisation processes and advance the understanding of biomineralisation mechanisms.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 17(1)
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ES), University of the Basque Country (ES), European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (FR), Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (ES), BASF (Germany) (DE), Institut des Sciences de la Terre (FR), Materials and Systems Research (United States) (US), Université Gustave Eiffel (FR), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR), Université Savoie Mont Blanc (FR), Université Grenoble Alpes (FR)
Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Eusko Jaurlaritza, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Junta de Andalucía, European Regional Development Fund, H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
Openalex Percentile: Top 83%
Calcium Carbonate Crystallization and Inhibition
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