1. A new nanocrystalline calcium carbonate polymorph, monoclinic aragonite (mAra), has been discovered in a cave.
2. mAra is crystallographically related to aragonite and can incorporate up to 10 atomic % of Mg into its structure.
3. mAra plays a key role in the formation of metastable aragonite in Mg-rich environments (Mg2+/Ca2+ > 1.5).
The article “A nanocrystalline monoclinic CaCO3 precursor of metastable aragonite” published in Science Advances is an informative and reliable source of information on the discovery of a new nanocrystalline calcium carbonate polymorph, monoclinic aragonite (mAra). The article provides evidence for the existence of this new phase and explains its role in the formation of metastable aragonite in Mg-rich environments.
The authors provide detailed evidence for their claims, including electron diffraction tomography combined with structure determination, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and ab initio thermodynamic calculations. The authors also discuss potential biases and counterarguments, such as the variable chemical composition of mAra crystals and the possibility that some may contain hydroxyls instead of carbonates.
In conclusion, this article is trustworthy and reliable due to its detailed evidence for the claims made by the authors and its discussion of potential biases and counterarguments.