Druse Calcite Crystals Formed by Mesoproterozoic Paleo-Earthquake Activity in the Northern Margin of the North China Craton

The Meso-neoproterozoic Bayan Obo rift is located along the northern margin of the North China Craton,and was associated with the break-up of the Columbia supercontinent.During rift evolution,syn-sedimentary deformation occurred due to tectonic activity and earthquakes.Seismic events are recorded in the Jianshan Formation of the Bayan Obo Group,Inner Mongolia,as soft sediment deformation structures in the central Bayan Obo rift.Druse calcite crystals and collapse breccias in the Jianshan Formation may provide information on the rift evolution.The druse calcite crystals are idiomorphic-columnar in shape and associated with graphite,pyrite,and quartz.δ^(13)C values of the graphite are−20‰,indicative of biogenic deoxygenation and formation in water.The druse calcite crystals are inorganic in origin and formed in water at a temperature of 55℃,based on calciteδ^(13)C andδ^(18)O data.The calcite grew in paleo-caves containing fault breccias,with heat derived from faulting.As such,the druse calcite crystals are important evidence for seismic events.The collapse breccias(i.e.,fault breccias)and other indicators of slip show that displacement occurred from NE to SW,which is different from the paleocurrent direction in the Jianshan Formation.The thickness of the collapse breccia is∼200 m,which represents the height of the fault scarp.The strike of the fault scarp was NE-SW,based on the distribution of the collapse breccia.The Bayan Obo and Yanliao rifts experienced rapid NW-SE extension,and developed similar deformation structures at ca.1.6 Ga related to break-up of the Columbia supercontinent.

Experimental Study on Urease Activity and Cementation Characteristics of Soybean

A new and more ecologically sound cementing material known as“bio-cement”has been found to have the capacity to consolidate loose gravel into sand columns offering a certain degree of strength,and to fill and repair cracks in concrete to restore resilience.The typical representative is the microbial induced calcium carbonate deposition technology(MICP)and enzyme induced calcite precipitation(EICP).As part of this research,EICP with soybean urease as the core was studied.The test results show that soybean urease activity is significantly affected by pH and urea concentration values,while the external nickel source is not found to impair a stimulating effect on activity.When the concrete specimens were immersed in the composite solution of soybean urease,urea,and calcium chloride after having been subjected to a high temperature,a continuous layer of white precipitations quickly appeared on the surface of the specimens.Measured using a metalloscope,the thickness of the precipitations was found to reach up to 2.0 mm,while the surface water absorption rate was reduced by 70%.The effects of this combined outcome are believed to significantly protect and improve the durability of the concrete specimens previously subjected to a high temperature.At the same time,the composite solution is shown to be capable of cementing fly ash,with the cubic strength of the finished samples reaching 4.0 MPa after 3 days.Results from the use of a scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS),and X-ray diffraction(XRD),reveal that both the white precipitations on the surface of the concrete specimens and the cement binding the fly ash particles are calcite crystals.It is concluded from these preliminary study results that the use of soybean urease as a bio-cement had proved successful.

Shape change of calcite single crystals to accommodate interfacial curvature:Crystallization in presence of Mg2+ions and agarose gel-networks

Synthetic calcite single crystals,due to their strong crystal habit,tend to grow into characteristic rhombohedra.In the nature,biogenic calcite crystals form composites together with biomacromolecular materials,spurring investigations of how the growing calcite single crystals change their habit to satisfy the curvature of the organic phase.In this work,we examine calcite crystallization on a flat surface of glass slide and a curved surface of polystyrene（PS） sphere.The crystals exhibit tiny contact area onto the glass substrate that is averagely only 15%of their projected area on the substrate.In sharp contrast,the contact area greatly increase to above 75%of the projected area,once magnesium ions or agarose gel networks are introduced into the crystallization media.Furthermore,the calcite crystals form rough and step-like interfaces with a curved surface.However,the interfaces become smooth and curved as the crystals grow in presence of magnesium ions or agarose gel networks.The discrepancy between the interfacial structures implies kinetic effects of the additives on the crystallization around the surfaces.This work may provide implications for understanding the formation mechanisms of single-crystal composite materials.

Functional delivery vehicle of organic nanoparticles in inorganic crystals

Encapsulation of bioactive substances for extended shelf life and controlled,targeted release is critical for their applications in food and drug delivery.Here,a new method has been developed to encapsulate bioactive molecules in the crystal composites,showing greatly enhanced stability and unique pHtriggered response.Chlorophyll,a model bioactive,is first loaded in shellac nanoparticles via coprecipitation with a high encapsulation efficiency,and then the chlorophyll-loaded nanoparticles are incorporated into calcite crystals grown from a gel media containing the nanoparticles.Under the protection of shellac nanoparticles and calcite crystals,chlorophyll shows excellent stability even under light.Encapsulated chlorophyll could only be released by first dissolving the calcite crystals under acidic condition and then dissolving the shellac nanoparticles under alkaline condition.The unique pHtriggered release mimics the pH change from acidic in the stomach to alkaline in the intestine and is thus well suited for controlled,targeted intestinal release.This work suggests that the crystal composites are an ideal delivery vehicle for the functional design of bioactive molecules.