Uranyl adsorption and surface speciation at the imogolite-water interface: Self-consistent spectroscopic and surface complexation models

Macro- and molecular-scale knowledge of uranyl (U(VI)) partitioning reactions with soil/sediment mineral components is important in predicting U(VI) transport processes in the vadose zone and aquifers. In this study, U(VI) reactivity and surface speciation on a poorly crystalline aluminosilicate mineral, synthetic imogolite, were investigated using batch adsorption experiments, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and surface complexation modeling. U(VI) uptake on imogolite surfaces was greatest at pH ∼7-8 (I = 0.1 M NaNO₃ solution, suspension density = 0.4 g/L [U(VI)]_i = 0.01-30 μM, equilibration with air). Uranyl uptake decreased with increasing sodium nitrate concentration in the range from 0.02 to 0.5 M. XAS analyses show that two U(VI) inner-sphere (bidentate mononuclear coordination on outer-wall aluminol groups) and one outer-sphere surface species are present on the imogolite surface, and the distribution of the surface species is pH dependent. At pH 8.8, bis-carbonato inner-sphere and tris-carbonato outer-sphere surface species are present. At pH 7, bis- and non-carbonato inner-sphere surface species co-exist, and the fraction of bis-carbonato species increases slightly with increasing I (0.1-0.5 M). At pH 5.3, U(VI) non-carbonato bidentate mononuclear surface species predominate (69%). A triple layer surface complexation model was developed with surface species that are consistent with the XAS analyses and macroscopic adsorption data. The proton stoichiometry of surface reactions was determined from both the pH dependence of U(VI) adsorption data in pH regions of surface species predominance and from bond-valence calculations. The bis-carbonato species required a distribution of surface charge between the surface and β charge planes in order to be consistent with both the spectroscopic and macroscopic adsorption data. This research indicates that U(VI)-carbonato ternary species on poorly crystalline aluminosilicate mineral surfaces may be important in controlling U(VI) mobility in low-temperature geochemical environments over a wide pH range (∼5-9), even at the partial pressure of carbon dioxide of ambient air (p_CO2 = 10^−3.45 atm).     

Arsenate uptake by calcite: Macroscopic and spectroscopic characterization of adsorption and incorporation mechanisms

Batch uptake experiments and X-ray element mapping and spectroscopic techniques were used to investigate As(V) (arsenate) uptake mechanisms by calcite, including adsorption and coprecipitation. Batch sorption experiments in calcite-equilibrated suspensions (pH 8.3; PCO₂ = 10^−3.5 atm) reveal rapid initial sorption to calcite, with sorption rate gradually decreasing with time as available sorption sites decrease. An As(V)-calcite sorption isotherm determined after 24 h equilibration exhibits Langmuir-like behavior up to As concentrations of 300 μM. Maximum distribution coefficient values (K_d), derived from a best fit to a Langmuir model, are ∼190 L kg⁻¹.Calcite single crystals grown in the presence of As(V) show well-developed rhombohedral morphology with characteristic growth hillocks on surfaces at low As(V) concentrations (?5 μM), but habit modification is evident at As(V) concentrations ?30 μM in the form of macrostep development preferentially on the − vicinal surfaces of growth hillocks. Micro-X-ray fluorescence element mapping of surfaces shows preferential incorporation of As in the − vicinal faces relative to + vicinals. EXAFS fit results for both adsorption and coprecipitation samples confirm that As occurs in the 5+ oxidation state in tetrahedral coordination with oxygen, i.e., as arsenate. For adsorption samples, As(V) forms inner-sphere surface complexes via corner-sharing with Ca octahedra. As(V) coprecipitated with calcite substitutes in carbonate sites but with As off-centered, as indicated by two Ca shells, and with likely disruption of local structure. The results indicate that As(V) interacts strongly with the calcite surface, similar to often-cited analog phosphate, and uptake can occur via both adsorption and coprecipitation reactions. Therefore, calcite may be effective for partial removal of dissolved arsenate from aquatic and soil systems.     

Surface simulation studies of the hydration of white rust Fe(OH)2, goethite α-FeO(OH) and hematite α-Fe2O3

Computer modelling techniques were used to elucidate the hydration behaviour of three iron (hydr)oxide minerals at the atomic level: white rust, goethite and hematite. A potential model was first adapted and tested against the bulk structures and properties of eight different iron oxides, oxyhydroxides and hydroxides, followed by surface simulations of Fe(OH)₂, α-FeO(OH) and α-Fe₂O₃. The major interaction between the adsorbing water molecules and the surface is through interaction of their oxygen ions with surface iron ions, followed by hydrogen-bonding to surface oxygen ions. The energies released upon the associative adsorption of water range from 1 to 17 kJ mol⁻¹ for Fe(OH)₂, 26 to 80 kJ mol⁻¹ for goethite and 40 to 85 kJ mol⁻¹ for hematite, reflecting the increasing oxidation of the iron mineral. Dissociative adsorption at goethite and hematite surfaces releases larger hydration energies, ranging from 120 to 208 kJ mol⁻¹ for goethite and 76 to 190 kJ mol⁻¹ for hematite.The thermodynamic morphologies of the minerals, based on the calculated surface energies, agree well with experimental morphologies, where these are available. When the partial pressures required for adsorption of water from the gas phase are plotted against temperature for the goethite and hematite surfaces, taking into account experimental entropies for water, it appears that these minerals may well be instrumental in the retention of water during the cyclic variations in the atmosphere of Mars.     

Interaction of muscovite (0 0 1) with Pu bearing solutions at pH 3 through ex-situ observations

The interaction of Pu³⁺ bearing solutions with the muscovite (0 0 1) basal plane is explored using a combination of ex-situ approaches including alpha-counting, to determine the Pu³⁺ adsorption isotherm, and X-ray reflectivity (XR) and resonant anomalous X-ray reflectivity (RAXR), to probe the interfacial structure and Pu-specific distribution, respectively. Pu uptake to the muscovite (0 0 1) surface from Pu³⁺ solutions in a 0.1 M NaClO₄ background electrolyte at pH 3 follows an approximate Langmuir isotherm with an apparent adsorption constant, K_app = 5 × 10⁴ M⁻¹, and with a maximum coverage that is consistent with the amount needed to fully compensate the surface charge by trivalent Pu. The XR results show that the muscovite surface reacted with a 10⁻³ M Pu³⁺ solution (at pH 3 with 0.1 M NaClO₄) and dried in the ambient environment, maintains a 30-40 Å thick layer, indicating the presence of a residual hydration layer (possibly including adventitious carbon). The RAXR results indicate that Pu sorbs on the muscovite surface with an intrinsically broad distribution with an average height of 18 Å, substantially larger than heights expected for any specifically adsorbed inner- or outer-sphere complexes. These results are discussed in the context of recent studies of cation adsorption trends on muscovite and the possible roles of Pu hydrolysis species in controlling the Pu-muscovite interactions.     

Adsorption of organic matter at mineral/water interfaces: I. ATR-FTIR spectroscopic and quantum chemical study of oxalate adsorbed at boehmite/water and corundum/water interfaces

The types and structures of adsorption complexes formed by oxalate at boehmite (γ-AlOOH)/water and corundum (α-Al₂O₃)/water interfaces were determined using in situ attenuated total reflectance fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and quantum chemical simulation methods. At pH 5.1, at least four different oxalate species were found at or near the boehmite/water interface for oxalate surface coverages (Γ_ox) ranging from 0.25 to 16.44 μmol/m². At relatively low coverages (Γ_ox < 2.47), strongly adsorbed inner-sphere oxalate species (IR peaks at 1286, 1418, 1700, and 1720 cm⁻¹) replace weakly adsorbed carbonate species, and a small proportion of oxalate anions are adsorbed in an outer-sphere mode (IR peaks at 1314 and 1591 cm⁻¹). IR peaks indicative of inner-sphere adsorbed oxalate are also observed for oxalate at the corundum/water interface at Γ_ox = 1.4 μmol/m². With increasing oxalate concentration (Γ_ox > 2.47 μmol/m²), the boehmite surface binding sites for inner-sphere adsorbed oxalate become saturated, and excess oxalate ions are present dominantly as aqueous species (IR peaks at 1309 and 1571 cm⁻¹). In addition to these adsorption processes, oxalate-promoted dissolution of boehmite following inner-sphere oxalate adsorption becomes increasingly pronounced with increasing Γ_ox and results in an aqueous Al(III)-oxalate species, as indicated by shifted IR peaks (1286 → 1297 cm⁻¹ and 1418 → 1408 cm⁻¹). At pH 2.5, no outer-sphere adsorbed oxalate or aqueous oxalate species were observed. The similarity of adsorbed oxalate spectral features at pH 2.5 and 5.1 implies that the adsorption mechanism of aqueous HOx⁻ species involves loss of protons from this species during the ligand-exchange reaction. As a consequence, adsorbed inner-sphere oxalate and aqueous Al(III)-oxalate complexes formed at pH 2.5 have coordination geometries very similar to those formed at pH 5.1.The coordination geometry of inner-sphere adsorbed oxalate species was also predicted using quantum chemical geometry optimization and IR vibrational frequency calculations. Geometry-optimized Al₈O₁₂ and Al₁₄O₂₂ clusters with the reactive surface Al site coordinated by three oxygens were used as model substrates for corundum and boehmite surfaces. Among the models considered, calculated IR frequencies based on a bidentate side-on structure with a 5-membered ring agree best with the observed frequencies for boehmite/oxalate/water samples at Γ_ox = 0.25 to 16.44 μmol/m² and pH 2.5 and 5.1, and for a corundum/oxalate/water sample at Γ_ox = 1.4 μmol/m² and pH 5.1. Based on these results, we suggest that oxalate bonding on boehmite and corundum surfaces results in 5-coordinated rather than 4- or 6-coordinated Al surface sites.     

Bridging arsenate surface complexes on the hematite (0 1 2) surface

The fate of the oxoanion arsenate in diverse systems is strongly affected by its adsorption on the surfaces of iron (oxyhydr)oxide minerals. Predicting this behavior in the environment requires an understanding of the mechanisms of arsenate adsorption. In this study, the binding site and adsorption geometry of arsenate on the hematite (0 1 2) surface is investigated. The structure and termination of the hematite (0 1 2)-water interface were determined by high resolution X-ray reflectivity, revealing that two distinct terminations exist in a roughly 3:1 proportion. The occurrence of multiple terminations appears to be a result of sample preparation, and is not intrinsic to the hematite (0 1 2) surface. X-ray standing wave (XSW) measurements were used to determine the registry of adsorbed arsenate to the hematite structure, and thus the binding site and geometry of the resulting surface complex. Arsenate forms a bridging bidentate complex on two adjacent singly coordinated oxygen groups on each of the two distinct terminations present at the hematite surface. Although this geometry is consistent with that seen in past studies, the derived As-Fe distances are longer, the result of the topology of the FeO₆ octahedra on the (0 1 2) surface. As EXAFS-derived As-Fe distances are often used to determine the adsorption mechanism in environmental samples (e.g., mine tailings, contaminated sediments), this demonstrates the importance of considering the possible sorbent surface structures and arrangements of adsorbates when interpreting such data.As multiple functional groups are present and multiple binding geometries are possible on the hematite (0 1 2) surface, the XSW data suggest that formation of bridging bidentate surface complexes on singly coordinated oxygen sites is the preferred adsorption mechanism on this and most other hematite surfaces (provided those surfaces contain adjacent singly coordinated oxygen groups). These measurements also constrain the likely reaction stoichiometry, with only the protonation state of the surface complex undetermined. Although bridging bidentate inner-sphere surface complexes comprised the majority of the adsorbed arsenate present on the hematite (0 1 2) surface, there is an additional population of sorbed arsenate species that could not be characterized by the XSW measurements. These species are likely more disordered, and thus more weakly bound, than the bridging bidentate complexes, and may play a role in determining the fate, transport, and bioavailability of arsenate in the environment. Finally, the possibility of obtaining species-specific XSW measurements by tuning the incident beam energy to specific features in a XANES spectrum is described.     

Kinetics of cadmium adsorption on aluminum precipitation products formed under the influence of tannate

The impeding effects of organic substances on the crystallization of Al precipitation products have been studied for more than three decades. However, the impacts of organics-induced structural perturbation and the resultant surface alteration of Al transformation products on their kinetics and mechanisms of the adsorption of trace metals still remain to be uncovered. This paper describes the kinetics of Cd adsorption on the short-range-ordered (SRO) Al precipitation products formed under the influence of tannate. The kinetics of Cd adsorption on the SRO Al precipitation products formed in the presence of tannate at initial tannate/Al molar ratios (MRs) of 0, 0.001, 0.01 and 0.1 was studied at an initial Cd concentration of 0.89 μM, pH 5.5, background electrolyte of 10⁻² M NaNO₃, and solid phase concentration of 0.08 g L⁻¹ at 278, 288, 298 and 313 K using the conventional batch method. The results show that, among the six empirical kinetic models tested, the second-order rate equation best described the kinetic data. Cadmium adsorption on SRO Al precipitation products was a multi-step process involving an initial fast reaction (0.083-0.75 h) followed by a slow reaction (0.75-4 h). The structural perturbation of Al precipitation products by tannate and the resultant development of their microporosity and alteration of surface and charge properties substantially enhanced the rate constants of both the fast and slow reaction processes of Cd adsorption. The heat of activation values for the fast reaction ranged from 27 to 41 kJ mol⁻¹, indicating that diffusion is the rate-limiting step in Cd adsorption. Except for the Al precipitation products formed at a tannate/Al MR of 0 and 0.001, the heat of activation was >47 kJ mol⁻¹ for the slow reaction, indicating that the rate-limiting step is a chemical process, which apparently involves bond breaking and formation on the surfaces of the SRO Al precipitation products. The pre-exponential factor, an index of the frequency of Cd collision with the surface of Al precipitation products, significantly increased with the increase of the initial tannate/Al MR, which is attributed to the development of microporosity and the increase in the specific surface area of the Al precipitation products formed under the influence of tannate ligands. The findings merit attention to the role of natural organics, which vary in the structure and functionality, in developing the microporous structure of Al precipitation products and the impact on the dynamics and mechanisms of Cd transformation and transport in natural environments.     

Solubility of nanocrystalline scorodite and amorphous ferric arsenate: Implications for stabilization of arsenic in mine wastes

Solubility experiments were performed on nanocrystalline scorodite and amorphous ferric arsenate. Nanocrystalline scorodite occurs as stubby prismatic crystals measuring about 50 nm and having a specific surface area of 39.88 ± 0.07 m²/g whereas ferric arsenate is amorphous and occurs as aggregated clusters measuring about 50–100 nm with a specific surface area of 17.95 ± 0.19 m²/g. Similar to its crystalline counterpart, nanocrystalline scorodite has a solubility of about 0.25 mg/L at around pH 3–4 but has increased solubilities at low and high pH (i.e. <2 and >6). Nanocrystalline scorodite dissolves incongruently at about pH > 2.5 whereas ferric arsenate dissolution is incongruent at all the pH ranges tested (pH 2–5). It appears that the solubility of scorodite is not influenced by particle size. The dissolution rate of nanocrystalline scorodite is 2.64 × 10⁻¹⁰ mol m⁻² s⁻¹ at pH 1 and 3.25 × 10⁻¹¹ mol m⁻² s⁻¹ at pH 2. These rates are 3–4 orders of magnitude slower than the oxidative dissolution of pyrite and 5 orders of magnitude slower than that of arsenopyrite. Ferric arsenate dissolution rates range from 6.14 × 10⁻⁹ mol m⁻² s⁻¹ at pH 2 to 1.66 × 10⁻⁹ mol m⁻² s⁻¹ at pH 5. Among the common As minerals, scorodite has the lowest solubility and dissolution rate. Whereas ferric arsenate is not a suitable compound for As control in mine effluents, nanocrystalline scorodite that can be easily precipitated at ambient pressure and temperature conditions would be satisfactory in meeting the regulatory guidelines at pH 3–4.     

Infrared spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction characterization of the nature of adsorbed arsenate on ferrihydrite

Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to characterize arsenate-ferrihydrite sorption solids synthesized at pH 3-8. The speciation of sorbed arsenate was determined based on the As-O stretching vibration bands located at 650-950 cm⁻¹ and O-H stretching vibration bands at 3000-3500 cm⁻¹. The positions of the As-O and O-H stretching vibration bands changed with pH indicating that the nature of surface arsenate species on ferrihydrite was strongly pH dependent. Sorption density and synthesis media (sulfate vs. nitrate) had no appreciable effect. At acidic pH (3, 4), ferric arsenate surface precipitate formed on ferrihydrite and constituted the predominant surface arsenate species. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of he sorption solids synthesized at elevated temperature (75 °C), pH 3 clearly showed the development of crystalline ferric arsenate (i.e. scorodite). In neutral and alkaline media (pH 7, 8), arsenate sorbed as a bidentate surface complex (in both protonated FeO₂As(O)(OH)⁻ and unprotonated forms). For the sorption systems in slightly acidic media (pH 5, 6), both ferric arsenate and surface complex were probably present on ferrihydrite. It was further determined that the incorporated sulfate in ferrihydrite during synthesis was substituted by arsenate and was more easily exchangeable with increasing pH.     

Cadmium and lead interaction with diatom surfaces: A combined thermodynamic and kinetic approach

This work is devoted to the physico-chemical study of cadmium and lead interaction with diatom-water interfaces for two marine planktonic (Thalassiosira weissflogii, TW; Skeletonema costatum, SC) and two freshwater periphytic species (Achnanthidium minutissimum, AMIN; Navicula minima, NMIN) by combining adsorption measurements with surface complexation modeling. Adsorption kinetics was studied as a function of pH and initial metal concentration in sodium nitrate solution and in culture media. Kinetic data were consistent with a two-step mechanism in which the loss of a water molecule from the inner coordination sphere of the metal is rate limiting. Reversible adsorption experiments, with 3 h of exposure to metal, were performed as a function of pH (2-9), metal concentration in solution (10⁻⁹-10⁻³ M), and ionic strength (10⁻³-1.0 M). While the shape of pH-dependent adsorption edge is similar among all four diatom species, the constant-pH adsorption isotherm and maximal binding capacities differ. Measurements of electrophoretic mobilities (μ) revealed negative surface potential for AMIN diatom, however, the absolute value of μ decreases with increase of [Pb²⁺]_aq suggesting the metal adsorption on negative surface sites. These observations allowed us to construct a surface complexation model (SCM) for cadmium and lead binding by diatom surfaces that postulates the Constant Capacitance of the electric double layer and considers Cd and Pb complexation with mainly carboxylic and, partially, silanol groups. In the full range of investigated Cd concentration, the SCM is able to describe the concentration of adsorbed metal as a function of [Cd²⁺]_aq without implying the presence of high affinity, low abundance sites, that are typically used to model the metal interactions with natural multi-component organic substances. At the same time, Cd fast initial reaction requires the presence of “highly reactive sites” those concentration represents only 2.5-3% of the total amount of carboxylic sites. For reversible adsorption experiments, the dominating carboxylic groups, whose concentration is allowed to vary within the uncertainty of experimental acid-base titrations, are sufficient to reproduce the metal adsorption isotherms. Results of this study strongly suggest that laboratory experiments performed in a wide range of metal to biomass ratios, represent robust and relatively simple method for assessing the distribution of metals between aqueous solution and planktonic and periphytic biomass in natural settings.     

Solubility products of amorphous ferric arsenate and crystalline scorodite (FeAsO4 · 2H2O) and their application to arsenic behavior in buried mine tailings

Published solubility data for amorphous ferric arsenate and scorodite have been reevaluated using the geochemical code PHREEQC with a modified thermodynamic database for the arsenic species. Solubility product calculations have emphasized measurements obtained under conditions of congruent dissolution of ferric arsenate (pH < 3), and have taken into account ion activity coefficients, and ferric hydroxide, ferric sulfate, and ferric arsenate complexes which have association constants of 10^4.04 (FeH₂AsO₄²⁺), 10^9.86 (FeHAsO₄⁺), and 10^18.9 (FeAsO₄). Derived solubility products of amorphous ferric arsenate and crystalline scorodite (as log K_sp) are −23.0 ± 0.3 and −25.83 ± 0.07, respectively, at 25 °C and 1 bar pressure. In an application of the solubility results, acid raffinate solutions (molar Fe/As = 3.6) from the JEB uranium mill at McClean Lake in northern Saskatchewan were neutralized with lime to pH 2-8. Poorly crystalline scorodite precipitated below pH 3, removing perhaps 98% of the As(V) from solution, with ferric oxyhydroxide (FO) phases precipitated starting between pH 2 and 3. Between pH 2.18 and 7.37, the apparent log K_sp of ferric arsenate decreased from −22.80 to −24.67, while that of FO (as Fe(OH)₃) increased from −39.49 to −33.5. Adsorption of As(V) by FO can also explain the decrease in the small amounts of As(V)(aq) that remain in solution above pH 2-3. The same general As(V) behavior is observed in the pore waters of neutralized tailings buried for 5 yr at depths of up to 32 m in the JEB tailings management facility (TMF), where arsenic in the pore water decreases to 1-2 mg/L with increasing age and depth. In the TMF, average apparent log K_sp values for ferric arsenate and ferric hydroxide are −25.74 ± 0.88 and −37.03 ± 0.58, respectively. In the laboratory tests and in the TMF, the increasing crystallinity of scorodite and the amorphous character of the coexisting FO phase increases the stability field of scorodite relative to that of the FO to near-neutral pH values. The kinetic inability of amorphous FO to crystallize probably results from the presence of high concentrations of sulfate and arsenate.     

Interfacial water structure on the (0 1 2) surface of hematite: Ordering and reactivity in comparison with corundum

Many geochemical reactions that control the composition of natural waters, contaminant fate and transport, and biogeochemical element cycling take place at the interface between minerals and aqueous solutions. A fundamental understanding of these important processes requires knowledge of the structure of mineral-water interfaces. High-resolution specular X-ray reflectivity was used to determine the structure of the hematite (0 1 2)-water interface. Relaxation of the surface was observed to be minor, and water was found to order near the hematite surface. Two sites of adsorbed water are inferred to be ordered laterally, one bridging between triply coordinated functional groups and the other bridging between the singly coordinated functional groups on the surface, as steric constraints limit the possible arrangements of water molecules occurring at the observed heights above the hematite surface. Relaxations of the hematite and corundum (0 1 2) surfaces, which are isostructural, are similar and limited primarily to the top most layer of the structures. No significant changes to the interfacial stoichiometry (i.e., partial occupancy of surface species) are observed in either case. The structure of interfacial water is similar on the hematite and corundum (0 1 2) surfaces as well, although water appeared to be less well ordered on the hematite surface. This may be due to expected differences in the oxygen exchange rates from surface functional groups or the apparent better matching of the corundum oxygen lattice to the natural structural ordering in water, and suggests that the dielectric constant gradients of interfacial water may differ on the two surfaces. Similar charging behavior is expected for these surfaces as similar types of surface functional groups are exposed. Although generally similar, subtle differences in the reactivity of hematite and corundum (0 1 2) surfaces to arsenate adsorption, and possibly the adsorption of other species, may be related to the difference in ordering of interfacial water observed in this study.     

Adsorption of Sr and Ba at the cleaved mica-water interface: Free energy profiles and interfacial structure

Monte Carlo simulations show that the adsorption position of the Sr²⁺ or Ba²⁺ ion on the cleaved muscovite surface is determined by the radius of the ion’s first hydration shell, hydrogen bonding of the first shell water molecules with the basal oxygens of muscovite as well as a requirement of minimization of the number of muscovite’s lattice cations in the ion’s first coordination shell. Accordingly, Sr²⁺ or Ba²⁺ adsorbs in ditrigonal cavities at a distance of 1.12 Å or 1.35 Å, respectively, from the basal surface on dehydrated mica and above tetrahedral substitutions at a height of 1.93 ± 0.02 Å or 2.15 ± 0.03 Å, respectively, at the highest simulated water coverage of 28 H₂O per ion. The ion’s displacement from a ditrigonal cavity occurs upon adsorption of 2 H₂O per ion for Sr²⁺ and 3 H₂O per ion for Ba²⁺. At a coverage of 28 H₂O per ion, outer-sphere adsorption of Sr²⁺ or Ba²⁺ at a height of 3.9 ± 0.2 Å or 4.17 ± 0.07 Å, respectively, is possible albeit unfavorable on the free energy scale by 107 ± 7 kJ/mol or 89 ± 13 kJ/mol, respectively, as compared to inner-sphere adsorption. Activation energies for the transformation between inner-sphere and outer-sphere adsorptions are calculated to be 121 ± 3 kJ/mol for Sr²⁺ and 99 ± 10 kJ/mol for Ba²⁺. A comparison of these values with those reported recently for Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ results in an adsorption affinity sequence Mg²⁺ > Ca²⁺ > Sr²⁺ > Ba²⁺ in agreement with the sequence predicted recently for low dielectric constant solids (which include mica) (Sverjensky, 2006). A recent resonant anomalous X-ray reflectivity study of Sr²⁺ adsorption on muscovite (Park et al., 2006) has questioned the common assumption (Stumm, 1992), which is supported by the present simulation results, that inner-sphere adsorption is stronger than outer-sphere adsorption. A modification of the cleaved muscovite surface as a result of Sr²⁺ adsorption in muscovite’s ditrigonal cavities and related destabilization of muscovite’s hydroxyl groups is proposed as a possible reason for this controversy.     

Modeling the adsorption of Cd (II), Cu (II), Ni (II), Pb (II) and Zn (II) onto montmorillonite

The adsorption of five toxic metallic cations, Cd(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II), onto montmorillonite was investigated as a function of pH and ionic strength and a two-site surface complexation model was used to predict the adsorption data. The results showed that in the lower pH range, 3∼6 for Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn, and 3∼4.5 for Pb, the adsorption was greatly affected by ionic strength, while in the higher pH range, the adsorption was not. In the lower pH range, the metallic cations were mainly bound through the formation of outer-sphere surface on the permanently charged basal surface sites (≡X⁻), while in the higher pH range the adsorption occurred mainly on the variably charged edge sites (≡SOH) through the formation of inner-sphere surface complexes. Acid-base surface constants and metal binding constants for the two sites were optimized using FITEQL. The adsorption affinity of the five metallic cations to the permanently charged sites of montmorillonite was Pb > Cu > Ni ≈ Zn ≈ Cd, while that to the variable charged sites was Pb ? Cu > Zn > Cd > Ni.     

Adsorption of l-aspartate to rutile (α-TiO2): Experimental and theoretical surface complexation studies

Interactions between aqueous amino acids and mineral surfaces influence many geochemical processes from biomineralization to the origin of life. However, the specific reactions involved and the attachment mechanisms are mostly unknown. We have studied the adsorption of l-aspartate on the surface of rutile (α-TiO₂, pH_PPZC = 5.4) in NaCl(aq) over a wide range of pH, ligand-to-solid ratio and ionic strength, using potentiometric titrations and batch adsorption experiments. The adsorption is favored below pH 6 with a maximum of 1.2 μmol of adsorbed aspartate per m² of rutile at pH 4 in our experiments. The adsorption decreases at higher pH because the negatively charged aspartate molecule is repelled by the negatively charged rutile surface above pH_PPZC. At pH values of 3-5, aspartate adsorption increases with decreasing ionic strength. The adsorption of aspartate on rutile is very similar to that previously published for glutamate (Jonsson et al., 2009). An extended triple-layer model was used to provide a quantitative thermodynamic characterization of the aspartate adsorption data. Two reaction stoichiometries identical in reaction stoichiometry to those for glutamate were needed. At low surface coverages, aspartate, like glutamate, may form a bridging-bidentate surface species binding through both carboxyl groups, i.e. “lying down” on the rutile surface. At high surface coverages, the reaction stoichiometry for aspartate was interpreted differently compared to glutamate: it likely involves an outer-sphere or hydrogen bonded aspartate surface species, as opposed to a partly inner-sphere complex for glutamate. Both the proposed aspartate species are qualitatively consistent with previously published ATR-FTIR spectroscopic results for aspartate on amorphous titanium dioxide. The surface complexation model for aspartate was tested against experimental data for the potentiometric titration of aspartate in the presence of rutile. In addition, the model correctly predicted a decrease of the isoelectric point with increased aspartate concentration consistent with previously published studies of the aspartate-anatase system. Prediction of the surface speciation of aspartate on rutile indicates that the relative proportions of the two complexes are a strong function of environmental conditions, which should be taken into account in considerations of geochemical systems involving the interactions of biomolecules and minerals in electrolyte solutions.     

Copper isotope fractionation during its interaction with soil and aquatic microorganisms and metal oxy(hydr)oxides: Possible structural control

This work is aimed at quantifying the main environmental factors controlling isotope fractionation of Cu during its adsorption from aqueous solutions onto common organic (bacteria, algae) and inorganic (oxy(hydr)oxide) surfaces. Adsorption of Cu on aerobic rhizospheric (Pseudomonas aureofaciens CNMN PsB-03) and phototrophic aquatic (Rhodobacter sp. f-7bl, Gloeocapsa sp. f-6gl) bacteria, uptake of Cu by marine (Skeletonema costatum) and freshwater (Navicula minima, Achnanthidium minutissimum and Melosira varians) diatoms, and Cu adsorption onto goethite (FeOOH) and gibbsite (AlOOH) were studied using a batch reaction as a function of pH, copper concentration in solution and time of exposure. Stable isotopes of copper in selected filtrates were measured using Neptune multicollector ICP-MS. Irreversible incorporation of Cu in cultured diatom cells at pH 7.5-8.0 did not produce any isotopic shift between the cell and solution (Δ^65/63Cu(solid-solution)) within ±0.2‰. Accordingly, no systematic variation was observed during Cu adsorption on anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria (Rhodobacter sp.), cyanobacteria (Gloeocapsa sp.) or soil aerobic exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing bacteria (P. aureofaciens) in circumneutral pH (4-6.5) and various exposure times (3 min to 48 h): Δ⁶⁵Cu(solid-solution) = 0.0 ± 0.4‰. In contrast, when Cu was adsorbed at pH 1.8-3.5 on the cell surface of soil the bacterium P. aureofacienshaving abundant or poor EPS depending on medium composition, yielded a significant enrichment of the cell surface in the light isotope (Δ⁶⁵Cu (solid-solution) = −1.2 ± 0.5‰). Inorganic reactions of Cu adsorption at pH 4-6 produced the opposite isotopic offset: enrichment of the oxy(hydr)oxide surface in the heavy isotope with Δ⁶⁵Cu(solid-solution) equals 1.0 ± 0.25‰ and 0.78 ± 0.2‰ for gibbsite and goethite, respectively. The last result corroborates the recent works of Mathur et al. [Mathur R., Ruiz J., Titley S., Liermann L., Buss H. and Brantley S. (2005) Cu isotopic fractionation in the supergene environment with and without bacteria. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta69, 5233-5246] and Balistrieri et al. [Balistrieri L. S., Borrok D. M., Wanty R. B. and Ridley W. I. (2008) Fractionation of Cu and Zn isotopes during adsorption onto amorhous Fe(III) oxyhydroxide: experimental mixing of acid rock drainage and ambient river water. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta72, 311-328] who reported heavy Cu isotope enrichment onto amorphous ferric oxyhydroxide and on metal hydroxide precipitates on the external membranes of Fe-oxidizing bacteria, respectively.Although measured isotopic fractionation does not correlate with the relative thermodynamic stability of surface complexes, it can be related to their structures as found with available EXAFS data. Indeed, strong, bidentate, inner-sphere complexes presented by tetrahedrally coordinated Cu on metal oxide surfaces are likely to result in enrichment of the heavy isotope on the surface compared to aqueous solution. The outer-sphere, monodentate complex, which is likely to form between Cu²⁺ and surface phosphoryl groups of bacteria in acidic solutions, has a higher number of neighbors and longer bond distances compared to inner-sphere bidentate complexes with carboxyl groups formed on bacterial and diatom surfaces in circumneutral solutions. As a result, in acidic solution, light isotopes become more enriched on bacterial surfaces (as opposed to the surrounding aqueous medium) than they do in neutral solution.Overall, the results of the present study demonstrate important isotopic fractionation of copper in both organic and inorganic systems and provide a firm basis for using Cu isotopes for tracing metal transport in earth-surface aquatic systems. It follows that both adsorption on oxides in a wide range of pH values and adsorption on bacteria in acidic solutions are capable of producing a significant (up to 2.5-3‰ (±0.1-0.15‰)) isotopic offset. At the same time, Cu interaction with common soil and aquatic bacteria, as well as marine and freshwater diatoms, at 4 < pH < 8 yields an isotopic shift of only ±0.2-0.3‰, which is not related to Cu concentration in solution, surface loading, the duration of the experiment, or the type of aquatic microorganisms.     

An attenuated total reflectance IR study of silicic acid adsorbed onto a ferric oxyhydroxide surface

Silicic acid (H₄SiO₄) can have significant effects on the properties of iron oxide surfaces in both natural and engineered aquatic systems. Understanding the reactions of H₄SiO₄ on these surfaces is therefore necessary to describe the aquatic chemistry of iron oxides and the elements that associate with them. This investigation uses attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR) to study silicic acid in aqueous solution and the products formed when silicic acid adsorbs onto the surface of a ferrihydrite film in 0.01 M NaCl at pH 4. A spectrum of 1.66 mM H₄SiO₄ at pH 4 (0.01 M NaCl) has an asymmetric Si-O stretch at 939 cm⁻¹ and a weak Si-O-H deformation at 1090 cm⁻¹. ATR-IR spectra were measured over time (for up to 7 days) for a ferrihydrite film (≈1 mg) approaching equilibrium with H₄SiO₄ at concentrations between 0.044 and 0.91 mM. Adsorbed H₄SiO₄ had a broad spectral feature between 750 and 1200 cm⁻¹ but the shape of the spectra changed as the amount of H₄SiO₄ adsorbed on the ferrihydrite increased. When the solid phase Si/Fe mole ratio was less than ≈0.01 the ATR-IR spectra had a maximum intensity at 943 cm⁻¹ and the spectral shape suggests that a monomeric silicate species was formed via a bidentate linkage. As the solid phase Si/Fe mole ratio increased to higher values a discrete oligomeric silicate species was formed which had maximum intensity in the ATR-IR spectra at 1001 cm⁻¹. The spectrum of this species suggests that it is larger than a dimer and it was tentatively identified as a cyclic tetramer. A small amount of a polymeric silica phase with a broad spectral feature centered at ≈1110 cm⁻¹ was also observed at high surface coverage. The surface composition was estimated from the relative contribution of each species to the area of the ATR-IR spectra using multivariate curve resolution with alternating least squares. For a ferrihydrite film approaching equilibrium with 0.044, 0.14, 0.40 and 0.91 mM H₄SiO₄ the area of the spectra accounted for by monomeric species were 92%, 49%, 23% and 6%, respectively. The remainder was oligomer apart from a small amount (<5%) of polymerized silica at the two higher H₄SiO₄ concentrations. The solid phase Si/Fe mole ratios for these samples were 0.020, 0.037, 0.071 and 0.138, respectively.     

Synergistic effect of calcium and bicarbonate in enhancing arsenate release from ferrihydrite

Many groundwater systems contain anomalously high arsenic concentrations, associated with less than expected retention of As by adsorption to iron (hydr)oxides. Although carbonates are ubiquitous in aquifers, their relationship to arsenate mobilization is not well characterized. This research examines arsenate release from poorly crystalline iron hydroxides in abiotic systems containing calcium and magnesium with bicarbonate under conditions of static and dynamic flow (pH 7.5-8). Aqueous arsenic levels remained low when arsenate-bearing ferrihydrite was equilibrated with artificial groundwater solution containing Ca, Mg, and HCO₃⁻. In batch titrations in which a solution of Ca and HCO₃⁻ was added repeatedly, the ferrihydrite surface became saturated with adsorbed Ca and HCO₃⁻, and aqueous As levels increased by 1-2 orders of magnitude. In columns containing Ca or Mg and HCO₃⁻, As solubility initially mimicked titrations, but then rapidly increased by an additional order of magnitude (reaching 12 μM As). Separately, calcium chloride and other simple salts did not induce As release, although sodium bicarbonate and lactate facilitated minor As release under flow. Results indicate that adsorption of calcium or magnesium with bicarbonate leads to As desorption from ferrihydrite, to a degree greater than expected from competitive effects alone, especially under dynamic flow. This desorption may be an important mechanism of As mobilization in As-impacted, circumneutral aquifers, especially those undergoing rapid mineralization of organic matter, which induces calcite dissolution and the production of dissolved calcium and bicarbonate.     

Molecular-scale mechanisms of distribution and isotopic fractionation of molybdenum between seawater and ferromanganese oxides

The distribution of Mo between seawater and marine ferromanganese oxides has great impacts on concentration and isotopic composition of Mo in modern oxic seawater. To reveal the adsorption chemistry of Mo to ferromanganese oxides, we performed (i) detailed structural analyses of Mo surface complexes on δ-MnO₂, ferrihydrite, and hydrogenetic ferromanganese oxides by L₃- and K-edge XAFS, and (ii) adsorption experiments of Mo to δ-MnO₂ and ferrihydrite over a wide range of pHs, ionic strengths, and Mo concentrations. XAFS analyses revealed that Mo forms distorted octahedral (Oh) inner-sphere complexes on δ-MnO₂ whereas it forms a tetrahedral (Td) outer-sphere complex on ferrihydrite. In the hydrogenetic ferromanganese oxides, the dominant host phase of Mo was revealed to be δ-MnO₂. These structural information are consistent with the macroscopic behaviors of Mo in adsorption experiments, and Mo concentration in modern oxic seawater can be explained by the equilibrium adsorption reaction on δ-MnO₂. In addition, the large isotopic fractionation of Mo between seawater and ferromanganese oxides detected in previous studies can be explained by the structural difference between and adsorbed species on the δ-MnO₂ phase in ferromanganese oxides. In contrast, smaller fractionation of Mo isotopes on ferrihydrite is due to little change in the Mo local structures during its adsorption to ferrihydrite.The structures of Mo species adsorbed on crystalline Fe (oxyhydr)oxides, goethite, and hematite were also investigated at pH 8 and I = 0.70 M (NaNO₃). Our XAFS analyses revealed that Mo forms inner-sphere complexes on both minerals: Td edge-sharing (46%) and Oh double corner-sharing (54%) for goethite, and Td double corner-sharing (14%) and Oh edge-sharing (86%) for hematite. These structural information, combined with those for amorphous ferrihydrite and δ-MnO₂, show the excellent correlation with the magnitude of adsorptive isotopic fractionation of Mo reported in previous studies: the proportion of Oh species or their magnitude of distortion in Mo surface complexes become larger in the order of ferrihydrite < goethite < hematite < δ-MnO₂, a trend identical to the magnitude of isotopic fractionation.Based on the comparison with previous reports for Mo surface species on various oxides, the chemical factors that affect Mo surface complex structures were also discussed. The hydrolysis constant of cation in oxides, log K_OH (or the acidity of the oxide surfaces, PZC) is well correlated with the mode of attachment (inner- or outer-sphere) of Mo surface complexes. Furthermore, the symmetric change in Mo species from Td to Oh is suggested to be driven by the formation of inner-sphere complexes on specific sites of the oxide surfaces.     

Kinetics of brucite dissolution at 25°C in the presence of organic and inorganic ligands and divalent metals

Brucite (Mg(OH)₂) dissolution rate was measured at 25°C in a mixed-flow reactor at various pH (5 to 11) and ionic strengths (0.01 to 0.03 M) as a function of the concentration of 15 organic and 5 inorganic ligands and 8 divalent metals. At neutral and weakly alkaline pH, the dissolution is promoted by the addition of the following ligands ranked by decreasing effectiveness: EDTA ≥ H₂PO₄⁻ > catechol ≥ HCO₃⁻ > ascorbate > citrate > oxalate > acetate ∼ lactate and it is inhibited by boric acid. At pH >10.5, it decreases in the presence of PO₄³⁻, CO₃²⁻, F⁻, oxine, salicylate, lactate, acetate, 4-hydroxybenzoate, SO₄²⁻ and B(OH)₄⁻ with orthophosphate and borate being the strongest and the weakest inhibitor, respectively. Xylose (up to 0.1 M), glycine (up to 0.05 M), formate (up to 0.3 M) and fulvic and humic acids (up to 40 mg/L DOC) have no effect on brucite dissolution kinetics. Fluorine inhibits dissolution both in neutral and alkaline solutions. From F sorption experiments in batch and flow-through reactors and the analysis of reacted surfaces using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), it is shown that fluorine adsorption is followed by its incorporation in brucite lattice likely via isomorphic substitution with OH. The effect of eight divalent metals (Sr, Ba, Ca, Pb, Mn, Fe, Co and Ni) studied at pH 4.9 and 0.01 M concentration revealed brucite dissolution rates to be correlated with the water molecule exchange rates in the first hydration sphere of the corresponding cation.The effect of investigated ligands on brucite dissolution rate can be modelled within the framework of the surface coordination approach taking into account the adsorption of ligands on dissolution-active sites and the molecular structure of the surface complexes they form. The higher the value of the ligand sorption constant, the stronger will be its catalyzing or inhibiting effect. As for Fe and Al oxides, bi- or multidentate mononuclear surface complexes, that labilize Mg-O bonds and water coordination to Mg atoms at the surface, enhance brucite dissolution whereas bi- or polynuclear surface complexes tend to inhibit dissolution by bridging two or more metal centers and extending the cross-linking at the solid surface. Overall, results of this study demonstrate that very high concentrations of organic ligands (0.01-0.1 M) are necessary to enhance or inhibit brucite dissolution. As a result, the effect of extracellular organic products on the weathering rate of Mg-bearing minerals is expected to be weak.