Rhodochrosite Oxidation by Dissolved Oxygen and the Formation of Mn Oxide Product: The Impact of Goethite as a Foreign Solid Substrate

Rhodochrosite conversion to Mn (oxyhydr)oxides significantly affects the fate and transport of various substances in the environment. We examined rhodochrosite oxidation by dissolved oxygen and the oxidation product formation with an emphasis on the effects of goethite substrate. Without goethite, rhodochrosite oxidation was slow as no detectable change was observed for 28 d with microscopic and spectroscopic analyses, except a minor change in X-ray diffraction. Interestingly, by contrast, it was greatly accelerated and completed in 7 d in the presence of goethite, resulting in the heteroepitaxial growth of groutite (α-MnOOH)-like Mn oxides on the goethite (α-FeOOH) tip surfaces. The formation of this secondary Mn oxide likely induced the acidification of the microenvironment in the vicinity of rhodochrosite particles and thereby promoted their dissolution. Subsequently, their oxidative conversion to the Mn oxide was expedited by the surface catalyzed Mn(II) oxidation on the goethite tip. Our results revealed that goethite as a foreign substrate imparts a decisive control on not only the rate but also the type of the reaction product of rhodochrosite oxidation. This study presents a new insight into the geochemical roles of foreign particles on the dynamics of redox-sensitive solid phases in the environment.