Self-Assembled Structures Formed in CO2-Enriched Atmospheres: A Case-Study for Martian Biomimetic Forms

Elizabeth Escamilla-Roa; Maria-Paz Zorzano; Javier Martin-Torres; Claro Ignacio Sainz-Diaz; Julyan H. E. Cartwright

doi:10.1089/ast.2021.0123

Self-Assembled Structures Formed in CO2-Enriched Atmospheres: A Case-Study for Martian Biomimetic Forms

Elizabeth Escamilla-Roa^*, Maria-Paz Zorzano, Javier Martin-Torres, Claro Ignacio Sainz-Diaz, Julyan H. E. Cartwright

^*Corresponding author for this work

Planetary Sciences, Geography

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the biomimetic precipitation processes that follow the chemical-garden reaction of brines of CaCl2 and sulfate salts with silicate in alkaline conditions under a Mars-type CO2-rich atmosphere. We characterize the precipitates with Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope micrography, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffractometry. Our analysis results indicate that self-assembled carbonate structures formed with calcium chloride can have vesicular and filamentary features. With magnesium sulfate as a reactant a tentative assignment with Raman spectroscopy indicates the presence of natroxalate in the precipitate. These morphologies and compounds appear through rapid sequestration of atmospheric CO2 by alkaline solutions of silica and salts.

Original language	English
Number of pages	17
Journal	Astrobiology
Volume	22
Issue number	7
Early online date	25 May 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2021.0123
Publication status	Published - 11 Jul 2022

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgments
E.E.-R. acknowledges Rafael Esteso for his help and advice with the experimental setups and photography, Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran for his help with the Mars Chamber experiment, and Carlos Pimentel for the fruitful discussion about platonic carbonates.
Funding Information
The authors acknowledge the contribution of the European COST Action CA17120 supported by the EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020 and the Spanish MINECO projects FIS2016-77692-C2 and PCIN-2017-098. M.P.Z. acknowledges the partial support of the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) Project No. MDM-2017-0737 and of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation project PID2019-104205GB-C21.

Keywords

Mars
Carbonate minerals
Self-assembly
Natroxalate
Chemical gardens
CO2 atmosphere
CALCIUM-CARBONATE
GALE CRATER
MARS
CRYSTALLIZATION
MINERALS
MAGNESIUM
DRIVEN
TUBES
RAMAN
LIFE

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Cite this

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title = "Self-Assembled Structures Formed in CO2-Enriched Atmospheres: A Case-Study for Martian Biomimetic Forms",

abstract = "The aim of this study was to investigate the biomimetic precipitation processes that follow the chemical-garden reaction of brines of CaCl2 and sulfate salts with silicate in alkaline conditions under a Mars-type CO2-rich atmosphere. We characterize the precipitates with Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope micrography, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffractometry. Our analysis results indicate that self-assembled carbonate structures formed with calcium chloride can have vesicular and filamentary features. With magnesium sulfate as a reactant a tentative assignment with Raman spectroscopy indicates the presence of natroxalate in the precipitate. These morphologies and compounds appear through rapid sequestration of atmospheric CO2 by alkaline solutions of silica and salts.",

keywords = "Mars, Carbonate minerals, Self-assembly, Natroxalate, Chemical gardens, CO2 atmosphere, CALCIUM-CARBONATE, GALE CRATER, MARS, CRYSTALLIZATION, MINERALS, MAGNESIUM, DRIVEN, TUBES, RAMAN, LIFE",

author = "Elizabeth Escamilla-Roa and Maria-Paz Zorzano and Javier Martin-Torres and Sainz-Diaz, {Claro Ignacio} and Cartwright, {Julyan H. E.}",

note = "Acknowledgments E.E.-R. acknowledges Rafael Esteso for his help and advice with the experimental setups and photography, Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran for his help with the Mars Chamber experiment, and Carlos Pimentel for the fruitful discussion about platonic carbonates. Funding Information The authors acknowledge the contribution of the European COST Action CA17120 supported by the EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020 and the Spanish MINECO projects FIS2016-77692-C2 and PCIN-2017-098. M.P.Z. acknowledges the partial support of the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) Project No. MDM-2017-0737 and of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation project PID2019-104205GB-C21.",

year = "2022",

month = jul,

day = "11",

doi = "10.1089/ast.2021.0123",

language = "English",

volume = "22",

journal = "Astrobiology",

issn = "1531-1074",

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number = "7",

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T1 - Self-Assembled Structures Formed in CO2-Enriched Atmospheres

T2 - A Case-Study for Martian Biomimetic Forms

AU - Escamilla-Roa, Elizabeth

AU - Zorzano, Maria-Paz

AU - Martin-Torres, Javier

AU - Sainz-Diaz, Claro Ignacio

AU - Cartwright, Julyan H. E.

N1 - Acknowledgments E.E.-R. acknowledges Rafael Esteso for his help and advice with the experimental setups and photography, Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran for his help with the Mars Chamber experiment, and Carlos Pimentel for the fruitful discussion about platonic carbonates. Funding Information The authors acknowledge the contribution of the European COST Action CA17120 supported by the EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020 and the Spanish MINECO projects FIS2016-77692-C2 and PCIN-2017-098. M.P.Z. acknowledges the partial support of the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) Project No. MDM-2017-0737 and of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation project PID2019-104205GB-C21.

PY - 2022/7/11

Y1 - 2022/7/11

N2 - The aim of this study was to investigate the biomimetic precipitation processes that follow the chemical-garden reaction of brines of CaCl2 and sulfate salts with silicate in alkaline conditions under a Mars-type CO2-rich atmosphere. We characterize the precipitates with Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope micrography, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffractometry. Our analysis results indicate that self-assembled carbonate structures formed with calcium chloride can have vesicular and filamentary features. With magnesium sulfate as a reactant a tentative assignment with Raman spectroscopy indicates the presence of natroxalate in the precipitate. These morphologies and compounds appear through rapid sequestration of atmospheric CO2 by alkaline solutions of silica and salts.

AB - The aim of this study was to investigate the biomimetic precipitation processes that follow the chemical-garden reaction of brines of CaCl2 and sulfate salts with silicate in alkaline conditions under a Mars-type CO2-rich atmosphere. We characterize the precipitates with Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope micrography, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffractometry. Our analysis results indicate that self-assembled carbonate structures formed with calcium chloride can have vesicular and filamentary features. With magnesium sulfate as a reactant a tentative assignment with Raman spectroscopy indicates the presence of natroxalate in the precipitate. These morphologies and compounds appear through rapid sequestration of atmospheric CO2 by alkaline solutions of silica and salts.

KW - Mars

KW - Carbonate minerals

KW - Self-assembly

KW - Natroxalate

KW - Chemical gardens

KW - CO2 atmosphere

KW - CALCIUM-CARBONATE

KW - GALE CRATER

KW - MARS

KW - CRYSTALLIZATION

KW - MINERALS

KW - MAGNESIUM

KW - DRIVEN

KW - TUBES

KW - RAMAN

KW - LIFE

U2 - 10.1089/ast.2021.0123

DO - 10.1089/ast.2021.0123

M3 - Article

SN - 1531-1074

VL - 22

JO - Astrobiology

JF - Astrobiology

IS - 7

ER -

Self-Assembled Structures Formed in CO2-Enriched Atmospheres: A Case-Study for Martian Biomimetic Forms

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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