Crystal Growth and Molecular Modeling Studies of Inhibition of Struvite by Phosphocitrate

Abstract

The inhibition by phosphocitrate of struvite crystal formation and growth has been examined in the present study. Crystal growth in a gel matrix was controlled by phosphocitrate in a dose-dependent manner. The effects of inhibition were followed using scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and single crystal X-ray analysis. The presence of phosphocitrate induced very strong, crystal face specific inhibition of struvite, leading to total cessation of crystal growth when sufficient concentration of the inhibitor was made available. Crystal growth studies and results from molecular modeling indicated strong affinity of phosphocitrate to (101) faces of struvite. This in turn led to an alteration in the expression of these faces and the development of a characteristic arrowhead struvite morphology. Similar changes were not observed in the presence of identical concentrations of citrate, acetohydroxamic acid, and N-sulfo-2 amino tricarballylate (an analog of phosphocitrate), emphasizing the unique interaction of phosphocitrate with the struvite crystal lattice.

Morphology of struvite crystals as an evidence of bacteria mediated growth

“…Crystals are detected in all experimental sets since pH ࣙ 7.2. In the case of the presence of microorganisms, pH value equal to 7.2 is achieved approximately after 3 hours of incubation [4,17] which is associated with appearance of first single struvite crystals; figure 1e and f. At such a small value of pH struvite yields crystals of coffin-like habit with well developed crystallographic surfaces and it is very typical for crystals growing in living animal and human organisms [18,19]. With time and with increase in pH the number of crystals is higher.…”

Studies on the effect of phyllanthus emblica extract on the growth of urinary type struvite crystals invitro

“…6H 2 O) is a complex mineral known to assume a number of natural morphological forms including coffin, wedge, short prismatic or short tabular forms [1]. Struvite, accounts for 10-20 % of all renal calculi [2], and is one the major component of urinary stones.…”

Recovery of N and P from Urine by Struvite Precipitation Followed by Combined Stripping with Digester Sludge Liquid at Full Scale

“…It is necessary to take into account that solids were presented in the storage tank even before the addition of magnesium; the elemental composition of these crystals determined with the gaseous analytical detector corresponded with magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite) and with calcium phosphates. Some of the struvite crystals showed the typical coffin shape [34], but there were no x-shaped branched crystals ( Figure 3). It is possible that the mixing speed in the reactor avoided the formation of big crystals, and some crystals seem to be fragments of bigger crystals.…”