Architecture of columnar nacre, and implications for its formation mechanism

We analyze the structure of Haliotis rufescens nacre, or mother-of-pearl, using synchrotron spectromicroscopy and x-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy. We observe imaging contrast between adjacent individual nacre tablets, arising because different tablets have different crystal orienta...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2007-06, Vol.98 (26), p.268102-268102, Article 268102
Main Authors: Metzler, Rebecca A, Abrecht, Mike, Olabisi, Ronke M, Ariosa, Daniel, Johnson, Christopher J, Frazer, Bradley H, Coppersmith, Susan N, Gilbert, P U P A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ABSORPTION
Animals
Biophysics - methods
Calcification, Physiologic
Calcium Carbonate - chemistry
Chemistry, Physical - methods
CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
Crystallization
CRYSTALS
GRAIN ORIENTATION
LAYERS
Mollusca
Oxygen - chemistry
POLARIZATION
SPECTROSCOPY
SYNCHROTRONS
Tablets
X-Rays
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Summary:We analyze the structure of Haliotis rufescens nacre, or mother-of-pearl, using synchrotron spectromicroscopy and x-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy. We observe imaging contrast between adjacent individual nacre tablets, arising because different tablets have different crystal orientations with respect to the radiation's polarization vector. Comparing previous data and our new data with models for columnar nacre growth, we find the data are most consistent with a model in which nacre tablets are nucleated by randomly distributed sites in the organic matrix layers.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.98.268102