Dolomite is a geological paradox. While the mineral composes vast mountain ranges and ancient sedimentary strata, it has remained stubbornly impossible to synthesize under laboratory conditions for over two centuries. This discrepancy—the "dolomite problem"—has long frustrated geologists who could observe the mineral’s abundance in the Earth’s crust but could not replicate its crystalline growth at room temperature.
The breakthrough, recently published by a collaborative research team, suggests the failure was not a matter of missing ingredients, but of missing time. On an atomic level, dolomite crystals grow by alternating layers of calcium and magnesium. However, these layers often attach haphazardly, creating defects that stall further growth. In the wild, these imperfections are slowly washed away by environmental fluctuations, such as rain or tidal cycles, allowing the crystal to "reset" and continue its expansion.
To mimic this natural process, researchers utilized atomic-scale simulations and electron beam pulses to artificially dissolve these nanoscale flaws. By subjecting the growing crystal to intermittent pulses, they achieved record-breaking growth rates. The discovery suggests that many high-tech materials currently difficult to manufacture might benefit from a similar "disorder-order" cycle, where periodic dissolution is as vital as the growth itself.
With reporting from Science Daily.
Source · Science Daily
