Mössbauer and EPR study of ferrihydrite and siderite biotransformations by a syntrophic culture of alkaliphilic bacteria

CO2 geological sequestration can remove emerging contaminants in groundwater: The important role of secondary mineral carbonates

Carbon dioxide (CO2) injection has been proposed as a strategy for carbon sequestration, while uncertainties persist regarding its effects on groundwater. Concerns have been raised that CO2 mineralization and sequestration could potentially lead to groundwater contamination. However, our study demonstrates its capability to mitigate pollution. The injection of CO2 facilitates the rapid dissolution of minerals, releasing Ca(II), Mg(II), and Fe(II) and forming secondary carbonate minerals, such as CaCO3, MgCO3, and FeCO3. The in-situ generated FeCO3 can activate oxygen to produce hydroxyl radicals (•OH) under oxic condition, thereby enhancing the degradation of emerging organic contaminants in groundwater, such as 2,4,6-tribromophenol, flurbiprofen, diclofenac, carbamazepine, phenol, and sulfamethoxazole. Mechanism studies suggest that this process is enhanced by the conversion of in-situ formed FeCO3 into a two-dimensional goethite nanosheet structure, which provides a larger specific surface area and enables more Fe(II) to be adsorbed on the mineral surface. The formation of Fe-O coordination bonds effectively reduces the loss of •OH at the interfacial reaction layer. The study further distinguishes and quantifies the contributions of different Fe(II) forms to •OH generation. The transformation pathways of the six contaminants and the toxicity of their intermediates are also analyzed. CaCO3 and MgCO3 do not exhibit the ability to degrade pollutants, but play a role in carbon mineralization. This work reveals that secondary minerals generated through the CO2 mineralization and sequestration process display simultaneous capabilities of contaminant degradation and carbon fixation. Such activities are pivotal not only for the environmental fate and transformation of emerging contaminants in groundwater but also for regulating the carbon cycle.

Effects on structure by spectroscopic investigations, valence state and morphology properties of FeCo-containing SnO2 catalysts for glycerol valorization to cyclic acetals

The effects on the structure, valence state and morphological properties of FeCo-containing SnO2 nanostructured solids were investigated. The physicochemical features were tuned by distinct synthesis routes e.g., sol-gel, coprecipitation and nanocasting, to apply them as catalysts in the glycerol valorization to cyclic acetals. Based on Mössbauer and XPS spectroscopy results, all nanosized FeCoSn solids have Fe-based phases, which contain Co and Sn included in the structure, and well-dispersed Fe3+ and Fe2+ surface active sites. Raman, FTIR and EPR spectroscopies measurements of the spent solids demonstrated structural stability for the sol-gel based solid, which is indeed responsible for the highest catalytic performance, among the nanocasted and coprecipitated counterparts. Morphological and elemental analyses illustrated distinct morphologies and composition on solid surface, depending on the synthesis route. The Fe/Co and Fe/Sn surface ratios are closely related to the catalytic performance. The improved glycerol conversion and selectivities of the solid obtained by sol-gel method was ascribed to the leaching resistance and the Sn action as a structural promoter.

Bioanalytical applications of Mössbauer spectroscopy

Data on the applications of Mössbauer spectroscopy in the transmission (mainly on 57Fe nuclei) and emission (on 57Co nuclei) variants for analytical studies at the molecular level of metal-containing components in a wide range of biological objects (from biocomplexes and biomacromolecules to supramolecular structures, cells, tissues and organisms) and of objects that are participants or products of biological processes, published in the last 15 years are discussed and systematized. The prospects of the technique in its biological applications, including the developing fields (emission variant, use of synchrotron radiation), are formulated.

The bibliography includes 248 references.