UC Davis

We demonstrate the use of ball milling mechanochemistry for rapid, simple, and materials-efficient synthesis of the organic mineral paceite CaCu(OAc)₄·6H₂O (where OAc^- is the acetate ion), composed of coordination polymer chains containing alternating Ca²⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions, as well as its cadmium-based analogue CaCd(OAc)₄·6H₂O. While the synthesis of paceite in aqueous solutions requires a high excess of the copper precursor, mechanochemistry permits the use of stoichiometric amounts of reagents, as well as the use of poorly soluble and readily accessible calcium carbonate or hydroxide reactants. As established by thermochemical measurements, enthalpies of formation of both synthetic paceite and its cadmium analogue relevant to the mechanochemical reactions are highly exothermic. Reactions can also be conducted using accelerated aging, a synthetic technique that mimics geological processes of mineral weathering. Accelerated aging reactivity involving copper(II) acetate monohydrate (hoganite) and calcium carbonate (calcite) provides a potential explanation of how complex organic minerals like paceite could form in a geological environment.