Halochromic modulation of amorphous calcium carbonate crystallization driven by pH-responsive bioinspired pigments
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Colors in biominerals often arise from the occlusion of low-molecular-weight organic pigments within calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) mineral phases during biomineralization processes; however, the physicochemical origin of these colors has been overlooked. Here, inspired by the growth of colored sea urchin spines that occurs through amorphous CaCO 3 (ACC) precursors, we show an in-vitro halochromic modulation of ACC crystallization. In this mechanism, the deprotonation of a natural red pigment naphthazarin (NZ) is driven by pH variations during mineral formation and subsequently stabilized within CaCO 3 - hybrid pigments. The latter show lavender-blue to violet-blue hues upon crystallization. Deprotonated NZ has a minimal impact on ACC formation and crystallization, which occurs through local dissolution and reprecipitation mechanisms; however, it limits the formation of vaterite, and calcite distorted nanodomains. Deprotonated NZ nano-inclusions that interact with calcite through water are thus formed. Overall, this study brings insights into the processes behind the coloration of biomineralized organisms.
Source: Nature Communications
Authors: Vaskar Sardhalia, Claudio Dos Reis Ferreira, Guillaume P. Laurent, Mohamed Selmane, Anne Vallée, Mathieu Frégnaux, Xiaoyan Li, Marta de Frutos, Andrew Fitch, Clemens N. Z. Schmitt, Shahrouz Amini, Zhaoyong Zou, Iryna Polishchuk, Boaz Pokroy, Peter Fratzl, Thierry Azaïs, Nadine Nassif, Marie Albéric
Institutions: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, Fédération de Chimie et Matériaux de Paris-Centre, Laboratoire de Réactivité de Surface, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Université Paris-Saclay, Institut Lavoisier de Versailles, Laboratoire de physique des Solides, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Wuhan University of Technology, State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology For Materials Synthesis and Processing, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Biomaterials
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,990
Funders: European Commission, Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Technische Universität Dresden, Conseil Régional, Île-de-France, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, National Institutes of Health
Awards: G1798337738, Colored inorganic-organic hybrid Materials inspired by the Pigmentation of Sea Urchin Biominerals, G3541125264, G4160171767, Biomimetic Peptides Controlling Prenucleation Species: probing mineralization regulation in biomineralization, G5296751580, G6376436503, IRON OVERLOAD AND HEREDITARY HEMOCHROMATOSIS STUDY, G7240651115, G8510727784, G8836748319
OpenAlex ID: W7172348248
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