Clay minerals and metal ions; Unraveling the behavior of metal ions from a microscopic perspective

Yamaguchi, Akiko  ; Yoshimura, Takashi*; Okumura, Masahiko   ; Takahashi, Yoshio*

Clay minerals control behaviors of metal ions in the soil because they are widespread in the earth's surface layer and have a large cation exchange capacity. Due to the complex structure of clay minerals, it is necessary to clarify their microscopic structure and chemical reactions in order to understand how they work. In this article, we describe a study that reveals the mechanism by which clay minerals adsorb metal ions through systematic extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements and first principles calculations.