Exploring the Formation of Calcium Orthophosphate‐Pyrophosphate Chemical Gardens

Chemical gardens are characterised by the self-assembly of mineralised abiotic architectures. Utilising fundamental building blocks bone mineral, namely calcium and orthophosphate ions, chemical that recapitulate microstructural compositional features hard tissue can be grown. Interplay between pyrophosphate species is highly relevant to natural mineral deposition processes, though this has yet explored in context generating biologically gardens. Here, tubular orthophosphate-pyrophosphate were grown from interface loaded hydrogels ([Ca2+]=1 M) layered with different solutions ([Pi]+[PPi]=0.7 M). We determine effect solution content on garden morphology growth rate. Extracted structures analysed means powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), revealing dependent differences precipitated crystallinity, composition microstructure, respectively. Lastly, potential application discussed engineering regenerative medicine.