Ferrihydrite formation: the role of Fe13 Keggin clusters

Joshua Simon Weatherill, Katherine Morris, Pieter Bots, Tomasz M. Stawski, Arne Janssen, Liam Abrahamsen, Richard Blackham, Samuel Shaw

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

95 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

Ferrihydrite is the most common iron oxyhydroxide found in soil and is a key sequester of contaminants in the environment. Ferrihydrite formation is also a common component of many treatment processes for clean-up of industrial effluents. Here we characterize ferrihydrite formation during the titration of an acidic ferric nitrate solution with NaOH. In-situ SAXS measurements supported by ex situ TEM indicate that initailly Fe13 Keggin clusters (radius ~0.45 nm) form in solution at pH 0.5 - 1.5, and are persistant for at least 18 days. The Fe13 clusters begin to aggregate above ~ pH 1, initially forming highly linear structures. Above pH ~ 2 densification of the aggregates occurs in conjunction with precipiation of low molecular weight Fe(III) speices (e.g. monomers, dimers) to form mass fractal aggregates of ferrihydrite nanoparticles (~ 3 nm) in which the Fe13 Keggin motif is preserved. SAXS analysis indicates the ferrihydrite particles have a core-shell structure consisting of a Keggin center surrounded by a Fe-depleted shell, supporting the surface depleted model of ferrihydrite. Overall, we present the first direct evidence for the role of Fe13 clusters in the pathway of ferrihydrite formation during base hydrolysis, showing clear structural continuity from isolated Fe13 Keggins to the ferrihydrite particle structure. The results have direct relevance to the fundamental understanding of ferrihydrite formation in environmental, engineered and industrial processes.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)9333-9342
Number of pages10
JournalEnvironmental Science and Technology
Volume50
Issue number17
Early online date2 Aug 2016
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 2 Aug 2016

Keywords

  • ferrihydrite
  • oxyhydroxides
  • environmental contaminants

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