Amorphous calcium carbonate stabilised by poly(propylene imine) dendrimers

Abstract

In the presence of octadecylamine, poly(propylene imine) dendrimers modified with long alkyl chains self-assemble to form well-defined aggregates that stabilise for periods exceeding 14 days the normally unstable amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) which persists in competition with the thermodynamic product, calcite.