Understanding the Nanoscale Affinity between Dissolved Organic Matter and Noncrystalline Mineral with the Implication for Water Treatment

Understanding intermolecular forces between noncrystallineminerals and organic matter is critical to developing efficient watertreatment materials. Inrecent decades, the concentration of dissolved organic matter(DOM) in aquatic ecosystems has gradually increased, leading to waterpollution problems. Understanding the interfacial chemical processesof DOM on natural minerals is important to the exploration of high-efficiencyabsorbents. However, studying DOM chemical processes and adsorptionmechanisms are still challenging due to the complex DOM structureand environmental system. Hence, we characterized the microstructurechanges after the formation of amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) atthe interface of montmorillonite (Mt) minerals in a simulated environmentsystem. Combined with atomic force microscopy and density functionaltheory (DFT) simulation, the mechanism of interfacial interactionbetween Mt-ACP and DOM was characterized at the molecular level. Moreover,we further evaluated the adsorption behavior of Mt-ACP as a potentialadsorbent for organic matter. The comprehensive investigation of humicacid adsorption, intermolecular force, and DFT simulation is conduciveto our understanding of the interfacial interaction mechanism betweenorganic matter and noncrystalline minerals in aquatic environmentsand provides new perspectives on the application of clay-based mineralmaterials in pollutant removal under exposure from DOM.

Automated summary

Understanding the intermolecular forces between noncrystalline minerals and organic matter is crucial for developing efficient water treatment materials. With the increased concentration of dissolved organic matter in aquatic ecosystems, there is a need to understand the chemical processes and adsorption mechanisms of organic matter on natural minerals. However, studying these processes is challenging due to the complexity of organic matter structure and environmental systems.