Nanopores and nanochannels are ubiquitous in geologic media and can significantly alter the chemistry within these environments due to confinement effects. Up to 40% of the porosity of B horizon soils is associated with pores that are less than 100 nm<sup>1</sup> and 90% of the surface area of Georgia kaolinite can be traced back to nanopores that are less than 10 nm in diameter.<sup>2</sup> Water within these pore spaces can be subjected to confinement effects, which leads to deviations in the observed physical and chemical properties when compared to bulk liquid water. Some of these differences include changes in phase boundaries, enhanced diffusion rates, variations in redox behavior, and reduced water activity. Understanding how geochemical reactions may be altered when placed under nanoconfinement is crucial for fully characterizing natural processes, but these nanoscale phenomena are difficult to investigate experimentally. Synthetic nanotubes or nanoporous sheets may provide insight into the impact of nanoconfinement on geochemical reactions and can be ordered into crystalline arrays for in-depth chemical and structural characterization. In this presentation, we will explore the structure and behavior of water confined within metal organic nanotubes and explore relationships to geologic media. The importance of surface chemistry and charge will be highlighted and compared to natural organic matter and mineral phase.

Relationships between water confined within synthetic nanotubes and nanoporous geologic media

2019 Spring National Meeting

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