Gram-scale, low-cost, rapid synthesis of highly stable Mg-ACC nanoparticles and their long-term preservation

A simple chemistry route is reported for the gram-scale, low-cost, rapid synthesis of highly stable Mg-ACC nanoparticles. The possible structure of Mg-ACC can be defined as Mg_0.15Ca_0.85CO₃.H₂O_0.85. The molar ratio of Mg²⁺:Ca²⁺:CO₃^2- and the concentrations of the reactants (CaCl₂, Na₂CO₃, and MgCl₂) play important roles in the Mg:Ca molar ratio of the obtained Mg-ACC nanoparticles. In particular, Mg-ACC can be preserved for over one year without crystallization by either storing its dry powder at -5 °C or storing it in ethanol at 5 °C. The ability to synthesize Mg-ACC nanoparticles on a large scale is useful for biomineralization studies and industrial applications.