Publication details
Raman spectroscopy of calcium oxalate hydrates in plants
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | There are several types of biominerals in plants; the most common are crystals and aggregates of calcium oxalate (CaOx), calcium carbonate (amorphous CaCO3 or calcite) and amorphous silica. Ca-oxalates are represented by three hydrated forms of CaC2O4: whewellite (monohydrate; COM), weddellite (dihydrate; COD), and caoxite (trihydrate; COT). The most common mineral is COM whereas COD and COT are considered to be metastable phases; on the other hand, they are assumed to be precursor phases during COM or COD formation [1]. Plant crystals are formed from endogenously synthesized oxalic acid which combines with calcium from the environment [2]. We used synthetic analogues of CaOx hydrates to acquire high-resolution reference Raman spectra (confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction). Consequently, we identified different CaOx hydrates in leaves of six different species of the Araceae family. |