Berlin 2012 – scientific programme
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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik
CPP 7: Poster: Biopolymers and Biomaterials (jointly with BP)
CPP 7.8: Poster
Monday, March 26, 2012, 17:30–19:30, Poster A
Selective decalcification: A method to determine the phosphate distribution within the cuticle of isopod by confocal Raman spectroscopy — •Christian Reisecker1, Bastian Seidel2, Andreas Ziegler2, and Sabine Hild1 — 1Institute of Polymer Science, Johannes Kepler University, Altenbergerstrasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria — 2Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89069 Ulm, Germany
The mineralized exoskeleton (cuticle) of isopods, is an excellent model to study biological composite materials. In spite of the diversity of crustacean species they share a similar structural principle for their cuticle: An organic matrix composed of chitin-protein fibers associated with various amounts of crystalline and amorphous CaCO3 and Ca3PO4. Scanning confocal Raman microscopy (SCRM) is a useful tool to study the chemical composition isopod cuticle and to allocate the distribution of organic and inorganic components. Carbonate minerals can easily detected but phosphates are more difficult to assign because of their lower content and of their lower Raman intensity. In this study selective decalification at pH=7 is applied to determine the phosphate distribution within the cuticle of three different isopods, which mainly differ in their phosphate content. While the calcite layer appears to be unchanged after the procedure no ACC can be detected in the endocuticle. Performing Cluster analysis phosphates can be allocated within endocuticle. The influence of the phosphate content in the mechanical properties of the cuticle SFM nanodindentation experiments are performed.