{"title":"Structural variations of amorphous magnesium carbonate during nucleation, crystallization, and decomposition of nesquehonite MgCO3·3H2O","authors":"Gen-ichiro Yamamoto, Atsushi Kyono, Satoru Okada","doi":"10.1007/s00269-022-01231-4","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Carbonate minerals are major contributors to carbon sequestration in geological deposits; however, their nature and behavior remain unclear. Amorphous magnesium carbonate (AMC) is formed as a precursor to crystalline magnesium carbonates and as a product of thermal decomposition of nesquehonite (NSQ). In this study, the AMCs formed during the crystallization and decomposition of NSQ were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic pair distribution function (PDF) methods. An AMC with a hydromagnesite-like structure (AMC-I) was formed immediately after mixing MgCl<sub>2</sub> and Na<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> solutions. After 5 min of stirring, no change was observed in the XRD pattern; however, the PDF pattern changed. This suggests that the medium-range ordered structure of AMC-I transformed into an intermediate structure (AMC-II) between AMC-I and NSQ. After 10 min of stirring, the AMC-II crystallized into NSQ. In the case of Rb<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>, the AMC-II structure was formed immediately after the mixing of solutions and was stable for three days. AMC-II in the Rb<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> solution appeared to be in equilibrium with energetic local minima, indicating the existence of polyamorphism in AMC. When Cs<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> solution was used, the first precipitate had an AMC-I structure. By stirring for 5 min, the AMC-I was transformed to AMC-II, and after 10 min of stirring, a few quantities crystallized into NSQ. After three days, NSQ dissolved and transformed back into AMC-I. Thus, it is inferred that the crystallization of NSQ is significantly influenced by alkali cations in aqueous solutions. The AMC formed during the thermal decomposition also possesses the AMC-I structure.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":20132,"journal":{"name":"Physics and Chemistry of Minerals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2000,"publicationDate":"2022-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Physics and Chemistry of Minerals","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00269-022-01231-4","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Carbonate minerals are major contributors to carbon sequestration in geological deposits; however, their nature and behavior remain unclear. Amorphous magnesium carbonate (AMC) is formed as a precursor to crystalline magnesium carbonates and as a product of thermal decomposition of nesquehonite (NSQ). In this study, the AMCs formed during the crystallization and decomposition of NSQ were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic pair distribution function (PDF) methods. An AMC with a hydromagnesite-like structure (AMC-I) was formed immediately after mixing MgCl2 and Na2CO3 solutions. After 5 min of stirring, no change was observed in the XRD pattern; however, the PDF pattern changed. This suggests that the medium-range ordered structure of AMC-I transformed into an intermediate structure (AMC-II) between AMC-I and NSQ. After 10 min of stirring, the AMC-II crystallized into NSQ. In the case of Rb2CO3, the AMC-II structure was formed immediately after the mixing of solutions and was stable for three days. AMC-II in the Rb2CO3 solution appeared to be in equilibrium with energetic local minima, indicating the existence of polyamorphism in AMC. When Cs2CO3 solution was used, the first precipitate had an AMC-I structure. By stirring for 5 min, the AMC-I was transformed to AMC-II, and after 10 min of stirring, a few quantities crystallized into NSQ. After three days, NSQ dissolved and transformed back into AMC-I. Thus, it is inferred that the crystallization of NSQ is significantly influenced by alkali cations in aqueous solutions. The AMC formed during the thermal decomposition also possesses the AMC-I structure.
期刊介绍:
Physics and Chemistry of Minerals is an international journal devoted to publishing articles and short communications of physical or chemical studies on minerals or solids related to minerals. The aim of the journal is to support competent interdisciplinary work in mineralogy and physics or chemistry. Particular emphasis is placed on applications of modern techniques or new theories and models to interpret atomic structures and physical or chemical properties of minerals. Some subjects of interest are:
-Relationships between atomic structure and crystalline state (structures of various states, crystal energies, crystal growth, thermodynamic studies, phase transformations, solid solution, exsolution phenomena, etc.)
-General solid state spectroscopy (ultraviolet, visible, infrared, Raman, ESCA, luminescence, X-ray, electron paramagnetic resonance, nuclear magnetic resonance, gamma ray resonance, etc.)
-Experimental and theoretical analysis of chemical bonding in minerals (application of crystal field, molecular orbital, band theories, etc.)
-Physical properties (magnetic, mechanical, electric, optical, thermodynamic, etc.)
-Relations between thermal expansion, compressibility, elastic constants, and fundamental properties of atomic structure, particularly as applied to geophysical problems
-Electron microscopy in support of physical and chemical studies
-Computational methods in the study of the structure and properties of minerals
-Mineral surfaces (experimental methods, structure and properties)