Women in Mineralogical Crystallography and Biomineralization

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineralogical Crystallography and Biomineralization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2022) | Viewed by 11469

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Sektion Kristallographie, Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-80333 München, Germany
Interests: biomineralization; crystallization and nanoparticle assembly processes; biomimetic/bioinspired materials; functional nanostructured and composite materials; electron microscopy applied to materials research
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Every year on 8th of March, we celebrate the “International Women's Day” to honor the achievements of women. To highlight the influential contributions that women have made in the fields of Mineralogical Crystallography and Biomineralization research, we announce a Special Issue of Crystals entitled “Women in Mineralogical Crystallography and Biomineralization”.

We welcome original research papers, reviews and perspectives featuring scientific contributions within the scope of the section "Mineralogical Crystallography and Biomineralization" from those groups, in which women played a crucial role in designing, managing and performing research. We furthermore encourage submission of manuscripts dedicated to women and honoring their past and present achievements in the fields.

All contributions will be considered for a best paper award, if at least 10 papers are published in this Special Issue. Each award nominee will be assessed on the paper’s originality, quality, and contribution to the field by the Evaluation Committee. The winner will receive a certificate, an award of 500 CHF, and an opportunity to publish their next submission in Crystals free of charge.

Prof. Dr. Elena Sturm
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Minerals
  • Biomineralization
  • Crystallography
  • Crystal Chemistry
  • Crystallization
  • Biomimetic and bioinspired materials
  • Biomimetic and bioinspired synthesis
  • Hierarchical composite structures

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 14435 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Crystalline Structure of Gold Mesocrystals Using X-ray Diffraction
by Aleksandra Chumakova, Felizitas Kirner, Andrei Chumakov, Stephan V. Roth, Alexeï Bosak and Elena V. Sturm
Crystals 2023, 13(8), 1204; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13081204 - 02 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1225
Abstract
Mesocrystals are a class of nanostructured material where individual nanocrystals are arranged in a distinct crystallographic orientation. The multiple-length-scale order in such materials plays an essential role in the emergent physical and chemical phenomena. Our work studies the structure of a faceted mesocrystal [...] Read more.
Mesocrystals are a class of nanostructured material where individual nanocrystals are arranged in a distinct crystallographic orientation. The multiple-length-scale order in such materials plays an essential role in the emergent physical and chemical phenomena. Our work studies the structure of a faceted mesocrystal composed of polystyrene-functionalized single crystalline gold nanoparticles using complementary ultrasmall- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS and WAXS) with electron microscopy. The results of the data analysis shed some light on the details of the microscopic structure of mesocrystals and their structuration principle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Women in Mineralogical Crystallography and Biomineralization)
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20 pages, 5286 KiB  
Article
A Study on the Mineralogy and Volatile Fraction of Scapolite from Mogok, Myanmar
by Pengyu Yuan, Yi Zhao, Bo Xu and Jiaqi Shen
Crystals 2022, 12(12), 1779; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12121779 - 07 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1487
Abstract
The Mogok metamorphic belt (MMB) of Myanmar is a famous geographical origin acknowledged by the whole world for its large mineral resources. In this study, basic gemological tests (density, UV fluorescence, refractive index, etc.), spectroscopic tests (infrared spectrum, Raman spectrum, and ultra-violet visible [...] Read more.
The Mogok metamorphic belt (MMB) of Myanmar is a famous geographical origin acknowledged by the whole world for its large mineral resources. In this study, basic gemological tests (density, UV fluorescence, refractive index, etc.), spectroscopic tests (infrared spectrum, Raman spectrum, and ultra-violet visible spectrum) and chemical composition analysis (electron microprobe and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer) were carried out on scapolites from Myanmar. This paper explores the mineralogical characteristics of Burmese scapolites and provides additional information on its origin. Burmese scapolites are colorless and transparent with a yellow tone and belong to Cl-rich dipyre. The infrared spectra of the samples show the vibrations of Si-O and Al-O (400–1300 cm−1), (CO3)2− (1400–300 cm−1), and OH (3048 cm−1 and 3568 cm−1). The Raman spectra are mainly the vibrational spectra of Si (Al)-O-Si (Al) and the absorption peaks at 992 cm−1 and 1110 cm−1 caused by the vibrations of sulfate and carbonate ions, respectively. Black inclusions were found inside the scapolites, and the dark inclusions were identified as graphite by Raman spectroscopy. Moreover, the composition of the scapolite could be influenced by the αCl/α(CO3)2− of the fluid. The Cl activity degree could control the scapolite content as the ion exchange between scapolite and plagioclase was gradually balanced. The enrichment of rare earth elements and the apparent positive Eu anomaly indicate that Burmese scapolites have a high degree of light and heavy rare earth element differentiation and an oxidizing environment of mineralization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Women in Mineralogical Crystallography and Biomineralization)
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17 pages, 2578 KiB  
Article
Strain-Induced Self-Rolling of Electrochemically Deposited Co(OH)2 Films into Organic–Inorganic Microscrolls
by Jonas Schwan, Sabine Rosenfeldt and Anna S. Schenk
Crystals 2022, 12(8), 1072; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12081072 - 31 Jul 2022
Viewed by 1482
Abstract
Strain-induced self-folding is a ubiquitous phenomenon in biology, but is rarely seen in brittle geological or synthetic inorganic materials. We here apply this concept for the preparation of three-dimensional free-standing microscrolls of cobalt hydroxide. Electrodeposition in the presence of structure-directing water-soluble polyelectrolytes interfering [...] Read more.
Strain-induced self-folding is a ubiquitous phenomenon in biology, but is rarely seen in brittle geological or synthetic inorganic materials. We here apply this concept for the preparation of three-dimensional free-standing microscrolls of cobalt hydroxide. Electrodeposition in the presence of structure-directing water-soluble polyelectrolytes interfering with solid precipitation is used to generate thin polymer/inorganic hybrid films, which undergo self-rolling upon drying. Mechanistically, we propose that heterogeneities with respect to the nanostructural motifs along the surface normal direction lead to substantial internal strain. A non-uniform response to the release of water then results in a bending motion of the two-dimensional Co(OH)2 layer accompanied by dewetting from the substrate. Pseudomorphic conversion into Co3O4 affords the possibility to generate hierarchically structured solids with inherent catalytic activity. Hence, we present an electrochemically controllable precipitation system, in which the biological concepts of organic matrix-directed mineralization and strain-induced self-rolling are combined and translated into a functional material. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Women in Mineralogical Crystallography and Biomineralization)
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16 pages, 5809 KiB  
Article
Titanite Spectroscopy and In Situ LA-ICP-MS U–Pb Geochronology of Mogok, Myanmar
by Jialu Gu, Bo Xu, Shu Li and Yi Zhao
Crystals 2022, 12(8), 1050; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12081050 - 28 Jul 2022
Viewed by 1569
Abstract
With the development of mineral testing technology and ore deposit geochemistry, titanite has become a hot topic in the study of accessory minerals. Two large-grained titanite crystals from Mogok, Myanmar, were used for a detailed study. In this study, the standard gemmological properties [...] Read more.
With the development of mineral testing technology and ore deposit geochemistry, titanite has become a hot topic in the study of accessory minerals. Two large-grained titanite crystals from Mogok, Myanmar, were used for a detailed study. In this study, the standard gemmological properties and spectral characteristics of titanite crystals were obtained by Fourier transform in-frared, micro ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared and Raman spectroscopy, respectively, which pro-vide a full set of data. Mineral major and trace elements were analysed using Electron-Probe Mi-croAnalysis (EPMA) and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The purpose of this study is to report spectral characteristics and major and trace elements of Mogok, Myanmar, in order to find new potential titanite standard samples. The two titanite crystals have similar major element compositions, and both grains have relatively low Al content (0.011–0.014 apfu) and Al/Fe ratios (0.157–0.222), but high Fe content (0.063–0.079 apfu). The two titanite crystals have similar chondrite-normalised rare earth element (REE) patterns with significantly Light Rare Earth Element (LREE) (La–Gd) enrichment and deletion of Heavy Rare Earth Element (HREE) (Tb–Lu). The 238U/206Pb ages of the two titanite samples are 43.5 ± 5.8 Ma and 34.0 ± 4.2 Ma, respectively. Generally, magmatic titanite has a low Al/Fe ratio, metamorphic and hydrothermal titanite crystals have extremely low Th/U ratios close to zero, with flat chondrite-normalised REE patterns or depletions in light REEs relative to heavy REEs. Different genetic types of titanite can be distinguished by the characteristics of major and trace elements. Combined chemical features such as REE differentiation, Al/Fe and Th/U ratios with formation temperature, the analysed titanite samples are considered magmatic-hydrothermal titanites. Their 238U/206Pb ages may indicate a potential stage of magmatic hydrothermal conversion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Women in Mineralogical Crystallography and Biomineralization)
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12 pages, 3326 KiB  
Article
Gender and Library of Mineralogy
by Bart Kahr
Crystals 2022, 12(3), 333; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12030333 - 27 Feb 2022
Viewed by 2113
Abstract
Few would expect women to feature often in the literature on minerology from the 15th through the 19th centuries, the recorded history of science being what it is. Among the approximately 1500 scholars in a massive catalogue of authors of mineralogy texts from [...] Read more.
Few would expect women to feature often in the literature on minerology from the 15th through the 19th centuries, the recorded history of science being what it is. Among the approximately 1500 scholars in a massive catalogue of authors of mineralogy texts from 1439 to 1919 complied by the independent scholar, Curtis P. Schuh, we count six women as primary entries and three others discussed secondarily. From the documents that Schuh left behind before his death, our database for this investigation, women wrote approximately 0.5% of the texts described. Only very unusual circumstances supported the life of a woman devoted to crystals in centuries past. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Women in Mineralogical Crystallography and Biomineralization)
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11 pages, 2998 KiB  
Article
Iron Oxalate Humboldtine Crystallization by Fungus Aspergillus niger
by Marina S. Zelenskaya, Alina R. Izatulina, Olga V. Frank-Kamenetskaya and Dmitry Y. Vlasov
Crystals 2021, 11(12), 1591; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11121591 - 20 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2520
Abstract
Microfungi were able to alternate solid substrate in various environments and play a noticeable role in the formation of insoluble calcium oxalate crystals in subaerial biofilms on rock surfaces. The present work describes how iron oxalate dihydrate humboldtine is acquired under the influence [...] Read more.
Microfungi were able to alternate solid substrate in various environments and play a noticeable role in the formation of insoluble calcium oxalate crystals in subaerial biofilms on rock surfaces. The present work describes how iron oxalate dihydrate humboldtine is acquired under the influence of the acid-producing microscopic fungus Aspergillus niger on the surface of two iron- bearing mineral substrates in vitro. Pyrrhotite and siderite rocks, as well as the products of their alteration, were investigated using a complex of analytical methods, including powder X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and EDX spectroscopy. The effect of the underlying rocks with different composition and solubility and different oxidation states of iron on Fe-oxalate crystallization and on the morphology of humboldtine crystals was shown. The mechanisms of humboldtine formation were discussed. The results obtained in vitro seem promising for using fungi in bioleaching iron and other metals from processed ores and for the development of environmentally friendly biotechnologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Women in Mineralogical Crystallography and Biomineralization)
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