Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Science

Tetrahedral iron can help clays exchange electrons about ten times faster

Smectites are clay minerals that can contain large amounts of structural iron. Unlike iron oxides, they do not dissolve when their iron is reduced, so they can be reduced and reoxidized many times. This makes them a recyclable pool of redox-active iron that supports microbial respiration, transforms...

Tetrahedral iron can help clays exchange electrons about ten times faster
Image: Phys.org
Smectites are clay minerals that can contain large amounts of structural iron. Unlike iron oxides, they do not dissolve when their iron is reduced, so they can be reduced and reoxidized many times. This makes them a recyclable pool of redox-active iron that supports microbial respiration, transforms contaminants and influences nutrient and trace element cycling.

Originally published at Phys.org

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