Work

Electrospun calcium pyrophosphate nanowires from Galatea paradoxa shells via a sol–gel route for sustainable functional materials

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) is a promising ceramic for biomedical, catalytic, and environmental applications, yet scalable fabrication of one-dimensional CPP nanostructures remains underexplored. Here, we report a novel, sustainable synthesis route integrating sol–gel processing and electrospinning, using Galatea paradoxa clamshells as a renewable biogenic calcium source. This combined strategy represents one of the first demonstrations of producing 1D CPP nanowires from natural shell waste, offering a cost-effective and environmentally friendly pathway distinct from conventional synthetic precursors. The process yields CPP nanowires with diameters ranging from 92 to 500 nm after calcination at 600 °C, whereas higher temperatures (700 °C) lead to structural coarsening and phase changes. The nanostructures were characterised by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). XRD and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) confirmed the β-Ca₂P₂O₇ phase, in agreement with FTIR signatures. This work establishes a scalable and green route to 1D CPP nanomaterials, advancing sustainable nanomaterial fabrication for bone regeneration, heavy metal adsorption, and semiconductor-based catalysis.

Source: Materials Science and Engineering B

DOI: 10.1016/j.mseb.2025.118908