ARAGONITE TO CALCITE TRANSFORMATION STUDIES BY ESR OF Mn2+ IONS IN SINOTAIA INGALLSIANA

Abstract

We have studied paramagnetic Mn 2+ ions present in the freshwater snail, Sinotaia ingallsiana (FS), Viviparus which are abundant in Thailand. The FS shells in our study were ground into fine powder. A set of seven samples was each then separately annealed for 2 hours in air atmosphere at 300°C, 400°C, 500°C, 600°C, 700°C, 800°C and 900°C, respectively. Our detailed ESR spectral analyses of FS show that Mn 2+ ions enter Ca 2+ sites during a biomineralization process. The hyperfine coupling constant (A) and zero-field splitting (D) in the ESR spectrum of Mn 2+ in calcite and aragonite were determined. The spreading of the non-central allowed transitions was analyzed and the experimental transitions were attributed. For calculating the hyperfine coupling constant, five methods for calculating the zero-field splitting, based on the analysis of the allowed and forbidden transitions, were provided. The values of the hyperfine coupling constant range from 87.50 to 89.00 G and those of the zero-field splitting range from 110.00 to 116.00 G.