Arsenate and Chromate Retention Mechanisms on Goethite. 1. Surface Structure

TLDR: In this paper, the authors used Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy to deduce the local coordination environment of two environmental contaminants, arsenate and chromate, on the mineral goethite (α-FeOOH).

Abstract: The molecular structure of ions retained on mineral surfaces is needed to accurately model their sorption process and to determine their stability. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy was used in this study to deduce the local coordination environment of two environmental contaminants, arsenate and chromate, on the mineral goethite (α-FeOOH). Based on the oxyanion−Fe distances, it was concluded that three different surface complexes exist on goethite for both oxyanions:  a monodentate complex, a bidentate-binuclear complex, and a bidentate-mononuclear complex. At low surface coverages, the monodentate complex was favored while at higher coverages the bidentate complexes were more prevalentthe bidentate-binuclear complex appears to be in the greatest proportion at these highest surface coverages. Therefore, modeling efforts for chromate or arsenate retention on goethite need to consider a monodentate complex at very low coverages, both the monodentate and bidentate complexes at in...