Synthesis of Struvite Crystals by Using Bacteria Proteus mirabilis

Abstract

The authors synthesized struvite crystals in the presence of Proteus mirabilis/urea and by using ammonium carbonate. The products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results showed that the struvite particles produced with bacteria are larger than those formed without bacteria. The formation mechanism of struvite crystals in bacterial solution is explored, indicating that the bacterial biomolecules may act as templates to induce the nucleation, growth, and aggregation of struvite crystals. This study may help to understand the true role of some common bacteria in the stone formation process, and it is also significant for synthesizing inorganic materials.

Keywords:

• biomineralization
• Proteus mirabilis
• struvite
• urea
• urinary stone

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation of China (20871001), Anhui Provincial Natural Science Foundation (10040606Q58), the Talent Fund for Outstanding Youth of Anhui Provincial Universities (2011SQRL142), the Project of Anhui Provincial Education Department (KJ2008A40ZC), and the Project of Huangshan University (2008xkjq018, 2010xkjq001).