Comparative Study of Calcium Carbonates and Calcium Phosphates Precipitation in Model Systems Mimicking the Inorganic Environment for Biomineralization

The aim of this study is to contribute to understanding the mechanisms underlying the formation of biologically relevant minerals by comparing the properties of solid phases formed in calcium phosphate (CaP) or calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation systems, at defined initial experimental conditions: supersaturation, constituent ions ratio, ionic strength, and/or presence of relevant inorganic ions. Thus, three systems of different chemical complexities were investigated: (a) system containing constituent ions, (b) system containing additional co-ions, and (c) system with higher ionic strength and addition of Mg2+. The respective precipitation diagrams were constructed, and supersaturation domains of different CaP and CaCO3 solid phases formation were identified. The obtained results may have implications not only for biomineralization and geochemistry, but also for materials science in general.