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Free keywords:
Calcium carbonate; Nano- and micro-particles; Self-assembly; Cell adhesion Cell proliferation
Abstract:
We have designed a new method for the in situ synthesis of CaCO3 particles via spin-coating while simultaneously controlling their distribution on the surface. CaCO3 is synthesized by simultaneously adding CaCl2 and Na2CO3 solutions to a rotating surface on a spin-coater. During the transient liquid film evaporation on the spin-coater, as the film layer progressively thins, the CaCO3 particles nucleate and grow while confined within that thinning layer on the spin-coater. The evaporation of the volatile component increases the global concentration of solids, resulting in the deposition of precipitates (CaCO3 particles). The growth rate, particle size, and coverage were theoretically and experimentally analyzed by adjusting the process parameters, initial salt concentrations, rotational speed, and post-deposition treatment. Experimental findings indicated that increasing the rotational speed resulted in formation of smaller particle sizes, while the concentration of the precursors directly influenced the average diameter of the particles. Raman spectroscopy analysis demonstrated that vaterite particles synthesized from lower salt concentrations exhibited a more intense signal than those synthesized from higher salt concentrations. Furthermore, higher salt concentrations led to increased particle coverage, while higher rotational speeds resulted in decreased particle coverage on the substrate. We explored the potential of such coatings in biomedicine and tissue engineering by seeding MC3T3-E1 cells on the CaCO3 particle-coated glass substrates. Surfaces functionalized with CaCO3 particles exhibited enhanced cell proliferation and adhesion.
