SrCO₃ crystals of ribbonlike morphology grown within thermally evaporated sodium bis-2-ethylhexylsulfosuccinate thin films

In this paper we demonstrate the crystallization of strontium carbonate in the form of thin sheets/ribbons within thermally evaporated sodium bis-2-ethylhexylsulfosuccinate (aerosol OT, AOT) thin films by a process of Sr²⁺ ion entrapment followed by reaction with CO₃^2- ions within the lipid matrix. The morphology of the strontianite crystals is observed to be strongly dependent on the nature of the lipid used in the ion entrapment process; stearic acid thin films result in the formation of the more commonly observed strontianite needles arranged in flowerlike assemblies. Contact angle measurements of the strontianite-AOT films indicated that they were hydrophobic, thus pointing to the possible role of hydrophobic interactions between the AOT-monolayer-covered strontianite crystals in modulating the crystal morphology.