The influence of the porosity of the growth medium on the crystallization of calcite (CaCO₃) was explored using gelatin hydrogels with different solid contents in a counter diffusion arrangement. Increasing gelatin solid content resulted in decreasing pore sizes and more complex porosity structure in the hydrogel as seen by SEM after freeze drying. The changes in the porosity features affected the characteristics of calcite crystals, which showed smaller sizes, progressively rougher surfaces and a higher tendency to grow as aggregates rather than as single crystals as the gelatin content in the hydrogel increased. Moreover, the close observation of the calcite crystals grown in hydrogels with higher solid contents evidenced that they were mesocrystals built up by slightly misoriented rhombohedral subunits with sizes ranging between 1 and 10 µm (Fig. 1). The incorporation of small amounts of gelatin in the calcite mesocrystals was confirmed combining Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). The differences in the characteristics of the calcite formed in hydrogels with different gelatin contents are discussed considering the relationships between hydrogel porosity, diffusivity and supersaturation conditions during growth.

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