TY - JOUR A1 - Karafiludis, Stephanos A1 - Scoppola, E. A1 - Wolf, S.E. A1 - Kochovski, Z. A1 - Matzdorff, D. A1 - Van Driessche, A. E. S. A1 - Hövelmann, J. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Stawski, Tomasz M. T1 - Evidence for liquid-liquid phase separation during the early stages of Mg-struvite formation JF - The Journal of Chemical Physics N2 - The precipitation of struvite, a magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate (MgNH₄PO₄ · 6H₂O) mineral, from wastewater is a promising method for recovering phosphorous. While this process is commonly used in engineered environments, our understanding of the underlying mechanisms responsible for the formation of struvite crystals remains limited. Specifically, indirect evidence suggests the involvement of an amorphous precursor and the occurrence of multi-step processes in struvite formation, which would indicate non-classical paths of nucleation and crystallization. In this study, we use synchrotron-based in situ x-ray scattering complemented by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy to obtain new insights from the earliest stages of struvite formation. The holistic scattering data captured the structure of an entire assembly in a time-resolved manner. The structural features comprise the aqueous medium, the growing struvite crystals, and any potential heterogeneities or complex entities. By analysing the scattering data, we found that the onset of crystallization causes a perturbation in the structure of the surrounding aqueous medium. This perturbation is characterized by the occurrence and evolution of Ornstein-Zernike fluctuations on a scale of about 1 nm, suggesting a non-classical nature of the system. We interpret this phenomenon as a liquid-liquid phase separation, which gives rise to the formation of the amorphous precursor phase preceding actual crystal growth of struvite. Our microscopy results confirm that the formation of Mg-struvite includes a short-lived amorphous phase, lasting >10 s. KW - Physical and theoretical chemistry KW - Non-classical crystallization KW - Struvite KW - Liquid-liquid-phase-separation KW - Nucleation KW - Crystallization KW - In-situ scattering PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-584766 DO - https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0166278 SN - 1089-7690 VL - 159 IS - 13 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - AIP Publishing CY - Woodbury, NY AN - OPUS4-58476 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Chewle, S. A1 - Weber, M. T1 - Revealing Kinetics of Paracetamol Crystallization Using Time Resolved Raman Spectroscopy, Orthogonal Time-Lapse Photography, and Non-Negative Matrix Factorization (OSANO) JF - Crystal Growth & Design N2 - Crystallization is a complex phenomenon with farreaching implications for the production and formulation of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Understanding this process is critical for achieving control over key physicochemical properties that can affect, for example, the bioavailability and stability of a drug. In this study, we were able to reveal intricate and diverse dynamics of the formation of metastable intermediates of paracetamol crystallization varying with the choice of solvent. We demonstrate the efficacy of our novel approach utilizing an objective function-based non-negative matrix factorization technique for the analysis of time-resolved Raman spectroscopy data, in conjunction with time-lapse photography. Furthermore, we emphasize the crucial importance of integrating Raman spectroscopy with supplementary experimental instrumentation for the mathematical analysis of the obtained spectra. KW - Polymorphism KW - Crystallization KW - Measurement KW - Algorithm PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.3c00617 SN - 1528-7483 VL - 23 SP - 6737 EP - 6746 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-58193 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Karafiludis, Stephanos A1 - de Oliveira Guilherme Buzanich, Ana A1 - Kochovski, Z. A1 - Feldmann, Ines A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Stawski, Tomasz T1 - Ni- and Co-Struvites: Revealing Crystallization Mechanisms and Crystal Engineering toward Applicational Use of Transition Metal Phosphates JF - Crystal Growth & Design N2 - Industrial and agricultural waste streams (waste water, sludges, tailings, etc.) which contain high concentrations of NH4+, PO43–, and transition metals are environmentally harmful and toxic pollutants. At the same time, phosphorous and transition metals constitute highly valuable resources. Typically, separate pathways have been considered to extract hazardous transition metals or phosphate independently from each other. Investigations on the simultaneous removal of multiple components have been carried out only to a limited extent. Here, we report the synthesis routes for Ni- and Co-struvites (NH4MPO4·6H2O, M = Ni2+ and Co2+), which allow for P, ammonia, and metal co-precipitation. By evaluating different reaction parameters, the phase and stability of transition metal struvites as well as their crystal morphologies and sizes could be optimized. Ni-struvite is stable in a wide reactant concentration range and at different metal/phosphorus (M/P) ratios, whereas Co-struvite only forms at low M/P ratios. Detailed investigations of the precipitation process using ex situ and in situ techniques provided insights into the crystallization mechanisms/crystal engineering of these materials. M-struvites crystallize via intermediate colloidal amorphous nanophases, which subsequently aggregate and condense to final crystals after extended reaction times. However, the exact reaction kinetics of the formation of a final crystalline product varies significantly depending on the involved metal cation in the precipitation process: several seconds (Mg) to minutes (Ni) to hours (Co). The achieved level of control over the morphology and size makes precipitation of transition metal struvites a promising method for direct metal recovery and binding them in the form of valuable phosphate raw materials. Under this paradigm, the crystals can be potentially up-cycled as precursor powders for electrochemical or (electro)catalytic applications, which require transition metal phosphates. KW - Crystallization KW - Struvite KW - Nickel KW - Cobalt KW - Phosphorous recovery KW - Up-cycling KW - Aqueous synthesis PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.2c00284 VL - 22 IS - 7 SP - 4305 EP - 4315 PB - ACS Publications CY - Washington D.C. AN - OPUS4-55286 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Getenet, M. A1 - Garcia-Ruiz, J. M. A1 - Otálora, F. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Al-Sabbagh, Dominik A1 - Verdugo-Escamilla, E. T1 - A comprehensive methodology for monitoring evaporitic mineral precipitation and hydrochemical evolution of saline lakes: The case of Lake Magadi soda brine (East African Rift Valley, Kenya) JF - Crystal growth and design N2 - Lake Magadi, East African Rift Valley, is a hyperalkaline and saline soda lake highly enriched in Na+, K+, CO32–, Cl–, HCO3–, and SiO2 and depleted in Ca2+ and Mg2+, where thick evaporite deposits and siliceous sediments have been forming for 100 000 years. The hydrogeochemistry and the evaporite deposits of soda lakes are subjects of growing interest in paleoclimatology, astrobiology, and planetary sciences. In Lake Magadi, different hydrates of sodium carbonate/bicarbonate and other saline minerals precipitate. The precipitation sequence of these minerals is a key for understanding the hydrochemical evolution, the paleoenvironmental conditions of ancient evaporite deposits, and industrial crystallization. However, accurate determination of the precipitation sequence of these minerals was challenging due to the dependency of the different hydrates on temperature, water activity, pH and pCO2, which could induce phase transformation and secondary mineral precipitation during sample handling. Here, we report a comprehensive methodology applied for monitoring the evaporitic mineral precipitation and hydrochemical evolution of Lake Magadi. Evaporation and mineral precipitations were monitored by using in situ video microscopy and synchrotron X-ray diffraction of acoustically levitated droplets. The mineral patterns were characterized by ex situ Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Experiments were coupled with thermodynamic models to understand the evaporation and precipitation-driven hydrochemical evolution of brines. Our results closely reproduced the mineral assemblages, patterns, and textural relations observed in the natural setting. Alkaline earth carbonates and fluorite were predicted to precipitate first followed by siliceous sediments. Among the salts, dendritic and acicular trona precipitate first via fractional crystallization─reminiscent of grasslike trona layers of Lake Magadi. Halite/villiaumite, thermonatrite, and sylvite precipitate sequentially after trona from residual brines depleted in HCO3–. The precipitation of these minerals between trona crystals resembles the precipitation process observed in the interstitial brines of the trona layers. Thermonatrite precipitation began after trona equilibrated with the residual brines due to the absence of excess CO2 input. We have shown that evaporation and mineral precipitation are the major drivers for the formation of hyperalkaline, saline, and SiO2-rich brines. The discrepancy between predicted and actual sulfate and phosphate ion concentrations implies the biological cycling of these ions. The combination of different in situ and ex situ methods and modeling is key to understanding the mineral phases, precipitation sequences, and textural relations of modern and ancient evaporite deposits. The synergy of these methods could be applicable in industrial crystallization and natural brines to reconstruct the hydrogeochemical and hydroclimatic conditions of soda lakes, evaporite settings, and potentially soda oceans of early Earth and extraterrestrial planets. KW - Crystallization KW - Precipitation KW - Crystals KW - Evaporation KW - Minerals PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-546712 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.1c01391 SN - 1528-7483 VL - 22 IS - 4 SP - 2307 EP - 2317 PB - ACS Publications CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-54671 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Heilmann, Maria A1 - Simões, R. G. A1 - Bernardes, C. E. S. A1 - Ramisch, Yen A1 - Bienert, Ralf A1 - Röllig, Matthias A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Minas da Piedade, M. E. T1 - Real-Time In situ XRD Study of Simvastatin Crystallization in Levitated Droplets JF - Crystal Growth & Design N2 - Simvastatin (SV) is an important active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for treatment of hyperlipidemias, which is known to exist in different crystalline and amorphous phases. It is, therefore, an interesting model to investigate how the outcome of evaporative crystallization in the contactless environment of an acoustically levitated droplet may be influenced by key experimental conditions, such as temperature, solvent properties (e.g., polarity and hygroscopicity), and dynamics of the evaporation process. Here, we describe a real-time and in situ study of simvastatin evaporative crystallization from droplets of three solvents that differ in volatility, polarity, and protic character (acetone, ethanol, and ethyl acetate). The droplet monitorization relied on synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, imaging, and thermographic analysis. A pronounced solvent-dependent behavior was observed. In ethanol, a simvastatin amorphous gel-like material was produced, which showed no tendency for crystallization over time; in ethyl acetate, a glassy material was formed, which crystallized on storage over a two-week period to yield simvastatin form I; and in acetone, form I crystallized upon solvent evaporation without any evident presence of a stable amorphous intermediate. The XRD and Raman results further suggested that the persistent amorphous phase obtained from ethanol and the amorphous precrystallization intermediate formed in ethyl acetate were similar. Thermographic analysis indicated that the evaporation process was accompanied by a considerable temperature decrease of the droplet surface, whose magnitude and rate correlated with the solvent volatility (acetone > ethyl acetate > ethanol). The combined thermographic and XRD results also suggested that, as the cooling effect increased, so did the amount of residual water (most likely captured from the atmosphere) remaining in the droplet after the organic solvent was lost. Finally, the interpretation of the water fingerprint in the XRD time profiles was aided by molecular dynamics simulations, which also provided insights into the possible role of H2O as an antisolvent that facilitates simvastatin crystallization. KW - Simvastatin KW - In-situ KW - API KW - Crystallization PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.1c00509 SN - 1528-7483 VL - 21 IS - 8 SP - 4665 EP - 4673 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-53663 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Chewle, Surahit A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Weber, M. T1 - Effect of choice of solvent on crystallization pathway of paracetamol: An experimental and theoretical case study JF - Crystals N2 - The choice of solvents influences crystalline solid formed during the crystallization of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). The underlying effects are not always well understood because of the complexity of the systems. Theoretical models are often insufficient to describe this phenomenon. In this study, the crystallization behavior of the model drug paracetamol in different solvents was studied based on experimental and molecular dynamics data. The crystallization process was followed in situ using time-resolved Raman spectroscopy. Molecular dynamics with simulated annealing algorithm was used for an atomistic understanding of the underlying processes. The experimental and theoretical data indicate that paracetamol molecules adopt a particular geometry in a given solvent predefining the crystallization of certain polymorphs KW - Crystallization KW - Nucleation KW - Polymorphism KW - Raman spectroscopy KW - Cassical nucleation theory PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-520052 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10121107 SN - 2073-4352 VL - 10 IS - 12 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - MDPI CY - Basel AN - OPUS4-52005 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Opitz, P. A1 - Asta, M. A1 - Fernandez-Martinez, A. A1 - Panthöfer, M. A1 - Kabelitz, Anke A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Mondeshki, M. A1 - Tremel, W. T1 - Monitoring a Mechanochemical Syntheses of Isostructural Luminescent Cocrystals of 9-Anthracenecarboxylic Acid with two Dipyridines Coformers JF - Crystal Growth and Design N2 - Amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) is an important precursor in the biomineralization of crystalline CaCO3. In nature, it serves as a storage material or as a permanent structural element, whose lifetime is regulated by an organic matrix. The relevance of ACC in materials science is primarily related to our understanding of CaCO3 crystallization pathways and CaCO3/(bio)polymer nanocomposites. ACC can be synthesized by liquid–liquid phase separation, and it is typically stabilized with macromolecules. We have prepared ACC by milling calcite in a planetary ball mill. Phosphate “impurities” were added in the form of monetite (CaHPO4) to substitute the carbonate anions, thereby stabilizing ACC by substitutional disorder. The phosphate anions do not simply replace the carbonate anions. They undergo shear-driven acid/base and condensation reactions, where stoichiometric (10%) phosphate contents are required for the amorphization to be complete. The phosphate anions generate a strained network that hinders ACC recrystallization kinetically. The amorphization reaction and the structure of BM-ACC were studied by quantitative Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and solid state 31P, 13C, and 1H magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which are highly sensitive to symmetry changes of the local environment. In the first—and fast—reaction step, the CO32– anions are protonated by the HPO42– groups. The formation of unprecedented hydrogen carbonate (HCO3–) and orthophosphate anions appears to be the driving force of the reaction, because the phosphate group has a higher Coulomb energy and the tetrahedral PO43– unit can fill space more efficiently. In a competing second—and slow—reaction step, pyrophosphate anions are formed in a condensation reaction. No pyrophosphates are formed at higher carbonate contents. High strain leads to such a large energy barrier that any reaction is suppressed. Our findings aid in the understanding of the mechanochemical amorphization of calcium carbonate and emphasize the effect of impurities for the stabilization of the amorphous phases in general. Our approach allowed the synthesis of new amorphous alkaline earth defect variants containing the unique HCO3– anion. Our approach outlines a general strategy to obtain new amorphous solids for a variety of carbonate/phosphate systems that offer promise as biomaterials for bone regeneration. KW - Crystallization KW - Mechanochemistry KW - PDF PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.0c00912 VL - 20 IS - 10 SP - 6831 EP - 6846 PB - American Chemical Society AN - OPUS4-51819 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - de Oliveira Guilherme Buzanich, Ana A1 - Kulow, Anicó A1 - Kabelitz, Anke A1 - Grunewald, C. A1 - Seidel, R. A1 - Chapartegui-Arias, Ander A1 - Radtke, Martin A1 - Reinholz, Uwe A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Beyer, S. T1 - Observation of early ZIF-8 crystallization stages with X-ray absorption spectroscopy JF - Soft Matter N2 - The present study investigates early stages of ZIF-8 crystallization up to 5 minutes post mixing of precursor solutions. Dispersive X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (DXAS) provides a refined understanding of the evolution of the coordination environment during ZIF-8 crystallization. Linear Combination Fiting (LCF) suggests tetrakis(1-methylimidazole)zinc2+ to be a suitable and stable mononuclear structure analogue for some early stage ZIF-8 intermediates. Our results pave the way for more detailed studies on physico-chemical aspects of ZIF-8 crystallization to better control tailoring ZIF-8 materials for specific applications. KW - In-situ KW - XANES KW - ZIF-8 KW - Crystallization PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D0SM01356K SN - 1744-6848 VL - 17 IS - 2 SP - 331 EP - 334 PB - Royal Scociety of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-51723 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kabelitz, Anke A1 - Dinh, H. A. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - Early stage in situ detection of polynuclear aluminum phases in aqueous solution JF - Polyhedron N2 - Polynuclear cationic aluminum hydroxide phases are known intermediates in the formation of aluminum oxides or (oxide) ydroxides upon hydrolysis of aluminum salt solutions. In the presence of sulfate anions, these aluminum polyoxocations (Al13) can form crystalline Al13 sulfates with varying chemical composition. The formation of these Al13 sulfates in aqueous solution has been poorly understood. Here, we investigate the early stage crystallization of Al13 clusters in a sulfate-containing solution, in situ and in real time. Dynamics associated with Al13 sulfate formation have been obtained for the first time, using Synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) of solutions suspended by acoustic levitation. Time-resolved in situ data show that the cubic phase, Na [(AlO4)Al12(OH)24(H2O)12](SO4)4*10H2O, forms after only minutes. The Formation mechanism of Al13 sulfates was found to depend on the sulfate:aluminum (SO4:Al) ratio. Ex situ XRD of the product Al13 sulfates in solution shows that for SO4:Al ratio ≤ 1.5 two other crystalline phases form, and convert to the cubic phase upon washing and drying. In situ XRD for the same ratio shows transient formation of an intermediate during the crystallization process. KW - Polyoxocation KW - In situ KW - Crystallization KW - Acoustic levitation KW - Synchroton x-ray diffraction PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2019.05.049 VL - 170 SP - 639 EP - 648 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-48552 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schulz, K. A1 - Schmack, R. A1 - Klemm, H. W. A1 - Kabelitz, Anke A1 - Schmidt, T. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Kraehnert, R. T1 - Mechanism and kinetics of hematite crystallization in air: Linking bulk and surface models via mesoporous films with defined nanostructure JF - Chemistry of Materials N2 - Iron can form numerous oxides, hydroxides, and oxide−hydroxides. Despite their relevance, many of the transformation processes between these phases are still poorly understood. In particular the crystallization of quasi-amorphous hydroxides and oxide−hydroxides is difficult to assess, since typical diffraction and scattering methods provide only sampleaveraged information about the crystallized phases. We report a new approach for the investigation of the crystallization of oxide−hydroxides. The approach relies on model-type films that comprise a defined homogeneous nanostructure. The nanostructure allows quantitative linking of Information obtained by bulk-averaging diffraction techniques (XRD, SAXS) with locally resolved information, i.e., Domain sizes (SEM, TEM, LEEM) and phase composition (SAED). Using time-resolved imaging and diffraction we deduce mechanism and kinetics for the crystallization of ferrihydrite into hematite. Hematite forms via nucleation of hematite domains and subsequent Domain growth that terminates only upon complete transformation. A Johnson−Mehl−Avrami−Kolmogorov model describes the kinetics over a wide temperature range. The derived understanding enables the first synthesis of ferrihydrite films with ordered mesoporosity and quantitative control over the films’ hematite and ferrihydrite content. KW - Iron oxide KW - Crystallization KW - Mesoporous films KW - Nanostructure PY - 2017 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.6b05185 SN - 0897-4756 SN - 1520-5002 VL - 29 IS - 4 SP - 1724 EP - 1734 AN - OPUS4-39690 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -