Adsorption of organic matter at mineral/water interfaces. 2. Outer-sphere adsorption of maleate and implications for dissolution processes.
The effects of the adsorption of a simple dicarboxylate low molecular weight organic anion, maleate, on the dissolution of a model aluminum oxide, corundum (alpha-Al2O3), have been examined over a range of different maleate concentrations (0.125-5.0 mM) and pH conditions (2-10). In situ attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopic measurements indicate that maleate binds predominantly as an outer-sphere, fully deprotonated complex ([triple bond]AlOH2+ -Mal2-) at the corundum surface over the entire range of maleate concentrations and pH conditions investigated. In accordance with the ATR-FTIR findings, macroscopic adsorption data can be modeled as a function of maleate concentration and pH using an extended constant capacitance approach and a single [triple bond]AlOH2+ -Mal2- species. Outer-sphere adsorption of maleate is found to significantly reduce the protolytic dissolution rate of corundum under acidic conditions (pH < 5). A likely mechanism involves steric protection of dissolution-active surface sites, whereby strong outer-sphere interactions with maleate hinder attack on those surface sites by dissolution-promoting species.
Surface & Aqueous Geochemistry Group, Department of Geological & Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-2115, USA. stephen.johnson@stanford.edu
Stephen B
SB
Johnson
Tae Hyun
TH
Yoon
Benjamin D
BD
Kocar
Gordon E
GE
Brown
D000327:Adsorption; D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D008298:Maleates / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
D008298:Maleates; D014867:Water; C030272:maleic acid; D000537:Aluminum Oxide