Applications of SPM to Studies of Mineral–Water Interface Chemistry

Abstract

The scanning probe microscope (SPM) has been utilized in studies of solid surfaces for nearly four decades. With resolution as high as the single atom level, valuable information on the structure and other properties of solid surfaces can be obtained. One of the most exciting areas of application for the SPM is in the study of mineral–water interfaces where the chemical reactions taking place are both of fundamental interest as well as important from an environmental/geochemical perspective. In this article, the basic design of one type of SPM, the atomic force microscope (AFM), is introduced followed by an examination of the different levels of resolution that may be exploited to obtain fundamental information on kink, step, and surface microtopography from mineral surfaces immersed in reactive solutions. The examples of these particular applications highlight the influence of solution chemistry on the rates and mechanisms of mineral growth and dissolution reactions that are readily followed with in‐situ AFM instrumentation.