Applications of Synchrotron Infrared Microspectroscopy to the Study of Inorganic-Organic Interactions at the Bacterial- Mineral Interface

Abstract

ABSTRACTSynchrotron microspectroscopy has been used to study the inorganic-organic interactions in the mid-infrared region (4000#x2013;400 cm#x2212;1) as Arthrobacter oxydans attach themselves to magnetite surfaces. Relative band intensities and band intensity ratios for functional groups of organically-derived biological molecules that are inherent to the experimental system are discussed. The molecular components as they are perturbed by interactions with water, dichromate and chromate metal ions on the mineral surfaces are investigated. Mapping of the spectral markers for the inorganic-organic interactions at the biological- mineral interfaces is presented and discussed. Comparative analyses of the synchrotron infrared microspectra suggest that the bacterial-chromium interactions depend on the solubility and toxicity of the chromium compounds.