| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Bio-Nano Interfaces and Engineering Applications
|
| Presentation Title |
Carbon or Carbonate? Distinguishing Carbon Sources in Biominerals by Atom Probe Tomography |
| Author(s) |
Jack Grimm, Cameron Renteria, Katherine Tang, Sandra Taylor, Arun Devaraj, Dwayne Arola |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Jack Grimm |
| Abstract Scope |
Biominerals leverage complex organic-inorganic interfaces in a hierarchical microstructure to confer exceptional damage tolerance relative to the individual constituent materials. However, distinguishing between organic (e.g. protein backbone or side groups) and inorganic (carbonate) carbon sources within biominerals is inherently challenging due to similarities in compositional signature depending on the technique. Atom probe tomography (APT) is a potent tool for characterizing biomineral interfaces with three-dimensional sub-nanometer resolution and a low background mass-to-charge spectra. In this study, carbon signatures were probed across various organic-inorganic specimens, including protein-enriched and deproteinized examples of hard tissues, to determine compositional correlations in APT. We also develop a mass spectral analytical technique considering how molecules may fragment into smaller groups or single atoms under intense electric fields during APT analyses, potentially correlating to specific carbon sources. In turn, this work presents both novel insight and challenges in how compositional signatures can inform biomineralization processes. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Characterization, Biomaterials, |