Tetrahedral iron can help clays exchange electrons about ten times faster
Researchers have discovered that tetrahedral iron in clay minerals significantly accelerates the rate at which these minerals exchange electrons. This finding improves the understanding of how clay minerals function as recyclable redox-active materials in environmental processes.
Why it matters
This discovery could lead to better methods for managing environmental contaminants and understanding nutrient cycling in soil.
by Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
edited by Swati Mestri , reviewed by Robert Egan
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Add to Preferred Sources (A) Tetrahedral Fe content per half-unit cell (atoms) for the as-synthesized synthetic nontronites (SyN), as quantified using X-ray diffraction measurements. (B) Redox curves of as-synthesized synthetic nontronites obtained using MER. Credit: Environmental Science & Technology (2026). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6c07316 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.
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