Compared to more abundant metalloids (e.g., As, Se, and Sb), little is known regarding the biogeochemistry of tellurium (Te), a critical metal whose use in CdTe photovoltaic solar cells is driving increasing global demand for this element. In this study, to understand the redox behavior of Te under ferrugenic/sulfidogenic conditions, we examined the potential for reduction of Te(VI) and Te(IV) in aqueous suspensions containing Fe(II) as siderite, vivianite, green rust, magnetite, or mackinawite; Fe(II)-bearing minerals which are often formed during microbial reduction of Fe(III) oxides. In the mackinawite systems, complete reduction of Te(VI) or Te(IV) to Te(0) was observed within 12 h, and near complete reduction (>90% Te(0)) was observed within 2.5 days in the green rust systems. In the presence of siderite, complete reduction of Te(VI) or Te(IV) to Te(0) occurred within 60 days. We observed >60% reduction of Te(VI) to Te(IV) within 2.5 days in the magnetite system, but Te(0) did not form until 120 days; however, complete reduction to Te(0) was observed within 120 days when starting with Te(IV). With vivianite there was >80% reduction of Te(VI) to Te(IV) within 12 h, without further reduction to Te(0) over the duration of the experiment (120 days); in the Te(IV)-vivianite system, there was no evidence of Te(IV) reduction within 120 days. The reduction of Te(VI) and Te(IV) in soils and sediments has been largely attributed to direct reduction by microbes; however, the reduction of Te(VI) and Te(IV) by Fe(II)-bearing minerals suggests that abiotic or coupled biotic-abiotic processes may also play a critical role in Te redox chemistry in natural and engineered environments.
O’Loughlin, Edward J., et al. "Tellurium Goes for a Ride on the “Ferrous” Wheel: Interactions of Te(VI) and Te(IV) with Fe(II)-Bearing Minerals." ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, vol. 7, no. 10, Sep. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00364
O’Loughlin, Edward J., Boyanov, Maxim I., & Kemner, Kenneth M. (2023). Tellurium Goes for a Ride on the “Ferrous” Wheel: Interactions of Te(VI) and Te(IV) with Fe(II)-Bearing Minerals. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 7(10). https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00364
O’Loughlin, Edward J., Boyanov, Maxim I., and Kemner, Kenneth M., "Tellurium Goes for a Ride on the “Ferrous” Wheel: Interactions of Te(VI) and Te(IV) with Fe(II)-Bearing Minerals," ACS Earth and Space Chemistry 7, no. 10 (2023), https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00364
@article{osti_2352629,
author = {O’Loughlin, Edward J. and Boyanov, Maxim I. and Kemner, Kenneth M.},
title = {Tellurium Goes for a Ride on the “Ferrous” Wheel: Interactions of Te(VI) and Te(IV) with Fe(II)-Bearing Minerals},
annote = {Compared to more abundant metalloids (e.g., As, Se, and Sb), little is known regarding the biogeochemistry of tellurium (Te), a critical metal whose use in CdTe photovoltaic solar cells is driving increasing global demand for this element. In this study, to understand the redox behavior of Te under ferrugenic/sulfidogenic conditions, we examined the potential for reduction of Te(VI) and Te(IV) in aqueous suspensions containing Fe(II) as siderite, vivianite, green rust, magnetite, or mackinawite; Fe(II)-bearing minerals which are often formed during microbial reduction of Fe(III) oxides. In the mackinawite systems, complete reduction of Te(VI) or Te(IV) to Te(0) was observed within 12 h, and near complete reduction (>90% Te(0)) was observed within 2.5 days in the green rust systems. In the presence of siderite, complete reduction of Te(VI) or Te(IV) to Te(0) occurred within 60 days. We observed >60% reduction of Te(VI) to Te(IV) within 2.5 days in the magnetite system, but Te(0) did not form until 120 days; however, complete reduction to Te(0) was observed within 120 days when starting with Te(IV). With vivianite there was >80% reduction of Te(VI) to Te(IV) within 12 h, without further reduction to Te(0) over the duration of the experiment (120 days); in the Te(IV)-vivianite system, there was no evidence of Te(IV) reduction within 120 days. The reduction of Te(VI) and Te(IV) in soils and sediments has been largely attributed to direct reduction by microbes; however, the reduction of Te(VI) and Te(IV) by Fe(II)-bearing minerals suggests that abiotic or coupled biotic-abiotic processes may also play a critical role in Te redox chemistry in natural and engineered environments.},
doi = {10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00364},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2352629},
journal = {ACS Earth and Space Chemistry},
issn = {ISSN 2472-3452},
number = {10},
volume = {7},
place = {United States},
publisher = {American Chemical Society (ACS)},
year = {2023},
month = {09}}
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER). Earth & Environmental Systems Science (EESS)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
2352629
Journal Information:
ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, Journal Name: ACS Earth and Space Chemistry Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 7; ISSN 2472-3452
