Photoinduced electro-optics measurements of biosilica transformation to cristobalite

• We examine phase transformation of biosilica.
• We report transition from amorphous biosilica to crystalline Cristobalite.
• Biosilica transformation to Cristobalite at temperature of 850 °C.
• Biosilica transformation is studied with photoinduced measurements.
• We examine changes in the photoinduced linear electro optics properties.

In this paper we studied the photoinduced electro optics effects in the thermal transformation process of biosilica to cristobalite, at a relatively low temperature and ambient pressure. This process was characterized by a variety of standards techniques with emphasis on linear electro optic effect measurements. Overall we demonstrated that photoinduced electro optics measurements are very sensitive to the transformation from amorphous structure of silica in the natural sponge samples to laminar string morphology of cristobalite. With this technique we could probe the change in the samples chirality from achiral bio silica to chiral cristobalite structure. Furthermore it is shown that natural biosilica have photoinduced linear electro optics respond indicating the chiral natural of biosilica.

The phase transformation of biosilica from marine sponges to Cristobalite under thermal treatment was investigated using photoinduced electro optics measurements. The figure shows the changes of the electro-optic coefficient of cristobalite and biosilica.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide