Surface-reacted calcium carbonate with functional cations

A surface-reacted calcium carbonate, wherein the surface-reacted calcium carbonate is obtained by a process comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a calcium carbonate-comprising material, wherein the calcium carbonate-comprising material is a natural ground calcium carbonate,
• b) providing at least one H3O+ ion donor, wherein the at least one H3O+ ion donor is phosphoric acid,
• c) providing at least one water-soluble metal cation source, and
• d) treating the calcium carbonate-comprising material of step a) with the at least one H3O+ ion donor of step b) and carbon dioxide in an aqueous medium to form an aqueous suspension of surface-reacted calcium carbonate, wherein in step d) the calcium carbonate-comprising material is treated with a solution comprising the at least one H3O+ ion donor of step b) and the at least one water-soluble metal cation source of step c),
• wherein the at least one water-soluble metal cation source is selected from the group consisting of copper nitrate, copper sulphate, copper acetate, copper chloride, copper bromide, copper iodide, zinc nitrate, zinc sulphate, zinc acetate, zinc chloride, zinc bromide, zinc iodide, hydrates thereof, and mixtures thereof,
• wherein the carbon dioxide is formed in-situ by the H3O+ ion donor treatment of the calcium carbonate-comprising material and/or is supplied from an external source, and
• wherein the at least one water-soluble metal cation source of step c) is added during step d).