Biomineralization of calcium oxalate for controlling crystal structure and morphology

Modifications of crystal structure, morphology and growth of calcium oxalate were attempted via in vitro biomineralization method in buffer solution similar to human urine. As the initial supersaturation increased, the crystal structure predominantly generated in the crystallization was shifted from calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD) to calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM). It was also demonstrated that excess species of calcium and oxalate ions, which originated from non-stoichiometric reactant conditions, significantly changed crystal structure and morphology as well as the crystal size. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.