Preprints, Working Papers, ... Year : 2025

Bioinspired Halochromic Crystallization of Calcium Carbonate

Selmane Mohamed
  • Function : Author
Vallée Anne
  • Function : Author
Frégnaux Mathieu
  • Function : Author
Li Xiaoyan
  • Function : Author
Frutos Marta De
Fitch Andrew
  • Function : Author
Polishchuk Iryna
  • Function : Author
Pokroy Boaz
  • Function : Author
Schmitt Clemens N.Z.
  • Function : Author
Amini Shahrouz
  • Function : Author
Fratzl Peter
  • Function : Author
Azaïs Thierry
  • Function : Author
Sardhalia Vaskar
  • Function : Author
Ferreira Claudio dos Reis
  • Function : Author
Laurent Guillaume P.
  • Function : Author
Selmane Mohamed
  • Function : Author
Vallée Anne
  • Function : Author
Frégnaux Mathieu
  • Function : Author
Li Xiaoyan
  • Function : Author
Frutos Marta De
  • Function : Author
Fitch Andrew
  • Function : Author
Polishchuk Iryna
  • Function : Author
Pokroy Boaz
  • Function : Author
Schmitt Clemens N.Z.
  • Function : Author
Amini Shahrouz
  • Function : Author
Fratzl Peter
  • Function : Author

Abstract

Colors in biominerals primarily arise from the presence of small organic pigments that are occluded during biomineralization processes; however, the physicochemical origin of these hues has been overlooked. Here, inspired by sea urchins, colored calcite crystals with bio-inspired nanostructure were synthesized using the natural red pigment naphthazarin (NZ) during the formation of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC), the biological precursor described in vivo. A halochromic ACC crystallization pathway is revealed, where the speciation of NZ is driven by pH variations and subsequently stabilized within the calcium carbonate-hybrid pigments, showing lavender-blue to violet-blue hues upon crystallization. Deprotonated NZ not only leads to various shades of blue but also favors the formation of calcite over vaterite, while having minimal impact on ACC formation. The resulting hybrid pigments exhibit enhanced color stability in response to changes in pH, as demonstrated by textile finishing assays. Overall, this study brings insights into the processes behind the coloration of biomineralized organisms and explores the development of bio-inspired hybrid pigments for coloring applications.

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Dates and versions

hal-05317920 , version 1 (16-10-2025)

Identifiers

  • HAL Id : hal-05317920 , version 1

Cite

Sardhalia Vaskar, Ferreira Claudio dos Reis, Laurent Guillaume P., Selmane Mohamed, Vallée Anne, et al.. Bioinspired Halochromic Crystallization of Calcium Carbonate. 2025. ⟨hal-05317920⟩
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