Self-assembly of carbonate-silica colloids: between living and non-living form

We describe self-assembled silica-carbonate aggregates that show a diverse range of morphologies, all of which display complex internal structure, orientational ordering of components, and well-organised, curved global morphologies that bear a strong resemblance to biogenic forms. The internal order is described as a liquid-crystal-like organisation of colloidal particles. We discuss possible causes for the striking morphologies of these inorganic materials, including local nanocrystal packing constraints and global silica membrane templating.