Growth of aragonite phase calcium carbonate on the surface of a titania-modified filter paper

Abstract

A new cellulose/aragonite composite material was fabricated by deposition of needle-like aragonite calcium carbonate crystals on the surface of an ultrathin titania gel film-modified filter paper. After prenucleation with calcium carbonate nanoparticles, the titania-modified filter paper was put into classic geothermal water for the growth of needle-like aragonite calcium carbonate crystals, and the needle-like calcium carbonate crystals were guaranteed to be pure aragonite. The mechanism of the formation of the pure aragonite crystals is that the calcium carbonate crystals may undergo a dissolution and recrystallization process. After the surface modification with a monolayer of sodium stearate, this composite material was endowed with a superhydrophobic property showing a water contact angle of 153°.