DE-FG02-06ER15364: Final Technical Report Nanoscale Reactivity of Clays, Clay Analogues (Micas), and Clay Minerals

Technical Report · Thu Jul 03 04:00:00 EDT 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/934383· OSTI ID:934383

Nagy, Kathryn L ^[1]

---

1. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago

The project objectives were to determine the nanoscale to molecular scale structure of the interface between muscovite mica and aqueous solutions containing various sorbates and to explore systematics that control the incorporation of inorganic and organic chemical components during aging of nanoparticles of iron-oxides and aluminosilicate clays. The basal surface of phyllosilicates is a primary sorbent of environmental contaminants, natural organic matter, and nutrients. Micas are also superb atomically-flat substrates used in materials science and surface physics applications. We applied X-ray scattering techniques using high brilliance synchrotron radiation to investigate molecular-scale details of mica’s interface structure in solutions containing common and toxic cations, anions, and natural organic molecules. Nanoparticles are ubiquitous in the environment and have a high capacity for sorbing contaminants through the combined effects of their high surface areas and pH-dependent surface charge. Aging of nanoparticles from metastable to stable phases can be inhibited by sorption of nonstructural components, but exact mechanisms are unknown. We synthesized Fe-oxides and aluminosilicate clay minerals from aqueous solutions in the presence of selected anions, and organic molecules, and quantified the uptake of these additives during aging and some implications for nanoparticle formation.

• Research Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-02ER15364
• OSTI ID: 934383
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/15364-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
ADDITIVES
AGING
ANIONS
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CATIONS
CLAYS
IRON OXIDES
MICA
MUSCOVITE
NUTRIENTS
ORGANIC MATTER
PHYSICS
SCATTERING
SORPTION
SUBSTRATES
SURFACE AREA
SYNCHROTRON RADIATION
X-ray reflectivity
adsorption
mica
muscovite
natural organic matter
resonant anomalous X-ray reflectivity