poly(methyl methacrylate) nanoparticles (PMMA-NPs) were recorded using
a UV-1800 Shimadzu spectrophotometer. The fluorescence spectra were
recorded on an Agilent Cary Eclipse Fluorescence spectrophotometer.
The images were captured under differential interference contrast
(DIC) and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) filters. Hydrodynamic
radii and ζ-potential of the particles in water were measured
using a Malvern Zeta Sizer instrument. The morphology of CaCO3 crystals collected on the coverslips was established using
an Olympus EVOS7000 optical fluorescence microscope and a JEOL JSM-6701F
scanning electron microscope (SEM). The composition of CaCO3 was analyzed using a Shimadzu model Fourier transform infrared (FTIR)
Prestige-21 spectrophotometer within the range of 4000–400
cm–1. The crystal lattice structure of the CaCO3 samples was investigated using a Bruker D8 Advance Powder
Crystal X-ray diffractometer with Cu Kα radiation (λ =
0.154 nm) within a 2θ range of 10–70° and source
at 40 kV and 40 mA.