Size Control of Biomimetic Curved-Edge Vaterite with Chiral Toroid Morphology via Sonochemical Synthesis

Abstract

The metastable vaterite polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) holds significant practical importance, particularly in regenerative medicine, drug delivery, and various personal care products. Controlling the size and morphology of vaterite particles is crucial for biomedical applications. This study explored the synergistic effect of ultrasonic (US) irradiation and acidic amino acids on CaCO3 synthesis, specifically the size, dispersity, and crystallographic phase of curved-edge vaterite with chiral toroids (chiral-curved vaterite). We employed 40 kHz US irradiation and introduced L- or D-aspartic acid as an additive for the formation of spheroidal chiral-curved vaterite in an aqueous solution of CaCl2 and Na2CO3 at 20 ± 1 °C. Chiral-curved vaterites precipitated through mechanical stirring (without US irradiation) exhibited a particle size of approximately 15 μm, whereas those formed under US irradiation were approximately 6 μm in size and retained their chiral topoid morphology. When a fluorescent dye was used for the analysis of loading efficiency, the size-reduced vaterites with chiral morphology, produced through US irradiation, exhibited a larger loading efficiency than the vaterites produced without US irradiation. These results hold significant value for the preparation of biomimetic chiral-curved CaCO3, specifically size-reduced vaterites, as versatile biomaterials for material filling, drug delivery, and bone regeneration.