Aragonite growth in water-alcohol mixtures: Classical or nonclassical crystallization?

Aragonite can grow from calcium carbonate solutions as the favored phase, at ambient conditions, in the presence of 1:1 volume % water:ethanol. Its form is single and branched needles, with pseudohexagonal symmetry. Morphological evidence demonstrates that all precipitated aragonite is twinned. The recently popularized hypothesis of nonclassical growth by nanocrystal self assembly cannot describe the aragonite crystal form. Rather, its formation is effectively described as spherulitic growth, i.e. by classical crystal growth theory.