Fabrication of patterned calcium carbonate materials through template-assisted microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation

Patterned calcium carbonate materials with controlled morphologies have broad applications in both environmental and engineering fields. However, how to fabricate such materials through environmental-friendly methods under ambient conditions is still challenging. Here, we report a green approach for fabricating patterned calcium carbonate materials. This eco-friendly approach is based on template-assisted microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation. As a proof of concept, by varying the templates and optimizing fabrication parameters, different patterned calcium carbonate materials were obtained. The optimized parameters include C-Ca(2+) = 80 mM, T-i = 15 degrees C, and templates made of small-sized CaCO3 particles with a concentration of 1.5 mg mL(-1), under which better and more sharp patterns were obtained. Materials with periodic patterns were also fabricated through a periodic template, showing good scalability of this approach. The results of this study could mean great potential in applications where spatially controlled calcium carbonate depositions with user-designed patterns are needed.