Bio-Inspired Patterning of Amorphous Calcium Carbonate Through Laser-Induced Crystallization

The precise control in biomineralization over various phases has inspired us to study a novel laser-induced crystallization route. To this end, we employed laser-induced crystallization in a magnesium-stabilized ACC environment to generate four distinct phases: calcite, stable dehydrated ACC, monohydrocalcite, and hydromagnesite in a patterned manner. We characterized the energy range, determined by laser power and speed, required for each phase formation and demonstrated the reproducibility of this process. Our approach enables precise patterning in the ACC environment, where laser-affected areas undergo phase changes while the rest remains unaltered. Furthermore, we investigated the controlled production of monohydrocalcite and hydromagnesite under varying thermal conditions, examining the influence of substrate composition, ACC stability, and repeated exposure on phase formation. We propose an explanation for the observed phases and demonstrate impressive control over polymorph location, enabling calcite patterning within an ACC matrix. This research explores laser patterning within a bio-inspired framework and advances our understanding of out-of-equilibrium phase formation processes inspired by biomineralization.