Mineral-associated organic matter is heterogeneous and structured by hydrophobic, charged, and polar interactions.

ABSTRACT: The formation of mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) is a key phenomenon that may explain the slow turnover rates of carbon in soil organic matter (SOM). Despite this, important details pertaining to the structure and dynamics of MAOM remain unknown. In the present study, we use replica-exchange molecular dynamics simulations to gain insight into the structure of MAOM on the surface of prototypical phyllosilicate clay and Fe-oxide minerals, montmorillonite and goethite, fine-grained minerals that strongly impact soil carbon dynamics in temperate and tropical regions, respectively. We examine the impact of aqueous chemistry through the presence of either Na[Formula: see text] or Ca[Formula: see text] charge balancing counterions. Our results are consistent with the hypothesized multila

SUBMITTER: Underwood TR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11573572 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature