Supervariate Gel Transforms into Various Biominerals in Salt Solutions

Impact Factor:18.5

DOI number:10.1002/adfm.202504321

Journal:Advanced Functional Materials

Abstract:It is disclosed that calcium-based biominerals, particularly hydroxyapatite (as in vertebrate bones and teeth), calcium carbonate (as in plankton and corals), and calcium pyrophosphate (as the cause for pseudogout), can be mineralized from the same precursor—“supervariate” gel, a stable and non-toxic amorphous gel easily prepared by mixing common water-soluble inorganic salt. When dispersed in a Na2CO3 or K2HPO4 solution, this multi-ionic, “supervariate” gel can selectively form the biomineral calcite (CaCO3) or hydroxyapatite, respectively. More remarkable reactions happen when the gel is dispersed in a CaCl2 solution under ambient conditions: dihydrate calcium pyrophosphate (Ca2P2O7·2H2O, CPP) is produced in the morphologically intact gel matrix. The resulting gel further transforms into hydroxyapatite upon drying at room temperature. Because of the ubiquity of pyrophosphate in organisms, such mild formation of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (contrasting the high temperatures needed in other non-enzymatic procedures, e.g., as in condensing phosphoric acid), and its transformation into hydroxyapatite, sheds light on 1) the role of pyrophosphate in life's origin; 2) key biomineralization mechanisms in physiological processes. This “supervariate” gel is also applied for dental repair and osteogenesis.

First Author:Xinxue Tang

Co-author:Chong Wang,Yuk-Tong Cheng,Junda Shen,Yunchen Long,Hongkun Li,Jie Yan,Yang Ren,Xiao Ma,Yufeng Huang

Indexed by:Journal paper

Correspondence Author:Zhengtao Xu,Jian Lu,Yang Yang Li

Page Number:2504321

Translation or Not:no

Date of Publication:2025-04-17

Included Journals:SCI

Links to published journals:https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adfm.202504321?af=R#:~:text=It%20is%20disclosed%20that%20calcium,and%20non-toxic%20amorphous%20gel