Researchers from the University of Michigan and Hokkaido University have successfully grown dolomite, a common mineral found in various geological formations, in the laboratory for the first time. This achievement solves the long-standing “Dolomite Problem” in geology and opens up possibilities for understanding crystal growth in nature and developing strategies for growing modern technological materials.

The key to their success was removing defects in the mineral structure during growth, which allowed dolomite layers to form in a matter of years instead of millions. The researchers used atomic simulations and developed software that accurately calculated the energy of atomic interactions, making it feasible to simulate dolomite growth over geologic timescales. The findings have implications for manufacturing high-quality materials for semiconductors, solar panels, batteries, and other technologies.

In their research, the scientists discovered that dolomite initially precipitates a cation-disordered surface, which inhibits further crystal growth due to high surface strains. However, mild undersaturation dissolves these disordered regions, increasing order upon reprecipitation. The simulations predicted that cycling a solution between supersaturation and undersaturation can significantly accelerate dolomite growth. To validate their theory, the researchers used in situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy and observed bulk dolomite growth after pulses of dissolution. This mechanism explains why dolomite is primarily found in natural environments with pH or salinity fluctuations. Furthermore, the study reveals that deliberate periods of mild dissolution can facilitate the growth and ripening of defect-free crystals.

Overall, this research provides insights into the growth of dolomite and offers a new approach to growing defect-free materials quickly by periodically dissolving defects during growth. The findings have implications for various industries, as they can help engineers manufacture higher-quality materials for semiconductors, solar panels, batteries, and other technological applications.

The research was published in Science.

References

• Kim, J., Kimura, Y., Puchala, B., Yamazaki, T., Becker, U., & Sun, W. (2023). Dissolution enables dolomite crystal growth near ambient conditions. Science, 382(6673), 915–920. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adi3690
• University of Michigan. (2023, November 23). Scientists finally succeed in growing dolomite in the lab by dissolving structural defects during growth. Phys.Org; University of Michigan. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-scientists-succeed-dolomite-lab-dissolving.html