Synchrotron-Based X-Ray Tomography of Strontium Phosphate Chemical Gardens

Abstract

While self-organized precipitation processes result in alluring, complex structures, such as chemical gardens, many questions about the mechanism of growth remain unanswered. One of the reasons for this is the limitations in characterization techniques. Traditional techniques either cannot enable in situ observations or cannot achieve high spatial resolution. Therefore, we propose a new method, herein referred to as synchrotron-based X-ray tomography, to address both challenges. Indeed, the results demonstrate sub-micron-resolution details of strontium phosphate gardens grown from a gel/liquid interface, reflecting a buoyancy-linked growth mechanism and the mineralization of the tubes, leading to the thickening of the tube walls.