TY - JOUR A1 - Hoevelmann, J. A1 - Stawski, T. M. A1 - Besselink, R. A1 - Freeman, H. M. A1 - Dietmann, K. M. A1 - Mayanna, S. A1 - Pauw, Brian Richard A1 - Benning, L. G. T1 - A template-free and low temperature method for the synthesis of mesoporous magnesium phosphate with uniform pore structure and high surface area N2 - Mesoporous phosphates are a group of nanostructured materials with promising applications, particularly in biomedicine and catalysis. However, their controlled synthesis via conventional template-based routes presents a number of challenges and limitations. Here, we show how to synthesize a mesoporous Magnesium phosphate with a high surface area and a well-defined pore structure through thermal decomposition of a crystalline struvite (MgNH4PO4·6H2O) precursor. In a first step, struvite crystals with various morphologies and sizes, ranging from a few micrometers to several millimeters, had been synthesized from supersaturated aqueous solutions (saturation index (SI) between 0.5 and 4) at ambient pressure and temperature conditions. Afterwards, the crystals were thermally treated at 70–250 °C leading to the release of structurally bound water (H2O) and ammonia (NH3). By combining thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), N2 sorption analyses and small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) we show that this decomposition process results in a pseudomorphic transformation of the original struvite into an amorphous Mg-phosphate. Of particular importance is the fact that the final material is characterized by a very uniform mesoporous structure with 2–5 nm wide pore channels, a large specific surface area of up to 300 m2 g−1 and a total pore volume of up to 0.28 cm3 g−1. Our struvite decomposition method is well controllable and reproducible and can be easily extended to the synthesis of other mesoporous phosphates. In addition, the so produced mesoporous material is a prime candidate for use in biomedical applications considering that Magnesium phosphate is a widely used, non-toxic substance that has already shown excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. KW - Struvite KW - SAXS KW - Scattering KW - Nanoporous KW - Geology PY - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-477130 VL - 11 IS - 14 SP - 6939 EP - 6951 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-47713 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wehmann, N. A1 - Lenting, C. A1 - Stawski, T. M. A1 - Agudo Jacome, Leonardo T1 - Anhydrite formation in planetary surface environments - The case of the Atacama Desert N2 - Gypsum (CaSO4∙2H2O), bassanite (CaSO4∙0.5H2O), and anhydrite (CaSO4) are essential evaporite minerals for the evolution of hyper-arid surface environments on Earth and Mars (Voigt et al. 2019; Vaniman et al. 2018). The formation mechanism of especially anhydrite has been a matter of scientific debate for more than a century (van’t Hoff et al. 1903). To date, there exists no model that can reliably predict anhydrite formation at earth’s surface conditions. While thermodynamics favor its formation, it is hardly achieved on laboratory time scales at conditions fitting either the Atacama Desert on Earth, or the surface of Mars (Wehmann et al. 2023). In light of most recent developments (e.g. Stawski et al. 2016), that advocate for a complex, non-classical nucleation mechanism for all calcium sulphates, we present an analysis of natural samples from the Atacama Desert to identify key features that promote the nucleation and growth of anhydrite under planetary surface conditions. Our analyses reveal at least three distinct anhydrite facies, with differing mineralogy and micro- to nano-structures. The facies are (1) aeolian deposits with sub-μm grain sizes, (2) (sub-)surface nodules that formed from aeolian deposits and (3) selenites with secondary anhydrite rims. Possible mechanisms of their formation will be discussed. T2 - 10th Granada-Münster Discussion Meeting CY - Münster, Germany DA - 29.11.2023 KW - Calcium sulfates KW - Nucleation KW - Planetary surface KW - Hyper-arid PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-59111 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -