In situ Raman spectroscopy applied to electrochemical scaling. Determination of the structure of vaterite

The Raman spectrum of vaterite prepared by electrochemical scaling in carbo nically pure water is presented and analysed following the rules of group t heory, It is shown that only one of the three crystallographic determinatio ns already proposed for the structure of vaterite is compatible with the re sults obtained. Then it is shown that the formation of aragonite on a vater ite crystal is a transformation of the vaterite structure and not a further crystallization of this polymorph upon vaterite crystals. Copyright (C) 20 00 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.