In Situ Characterization of Relevance of Surface Microstructure and Electrochemical Properties of Chalcopyrite to Adsorption of Acidianus manzaensis

Abstract

The in situ relevance of micro- structure and electrochemical properties of chalcopyrite to adsorption of thermoacidophilic bioleaching Archaea Acidianus manzaensis was studied. In this study, the electrochemical behavior of chalcopyrite was first investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) to get suitable initial reduction and oxidation potentials, at which electrochemical corrosions of chalcopyrite for several time were performed, respectively, to get specific surface micro-structures. The specific adsorption of A. manzaensis on the electrochemically corroded chalcopyrite surface was then comparatively studied. The changes of microstructure and chemical composition/speciation on the surface of chalcopyrite before and after electrochemical treatment and bio-adsorption was characterized by scanning electron microscopy/electron dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), and synchrotron radiation-based X-ray diffraction (SR-XRD) and Fe, Cu K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. The results showed that the suitable initial oxidation and reduction of chalcopyrite electrode were at 0.67 V for 1h and -0.54 V for 10 min, respectively. After treated at 0.67V the surface of chalcopyrite became Cu-deficient with a composition of CuFe1.02S2.15, and bornite (Cu5FeS4) was detected. While after treated at -0.54V, the surface became Fe/S-deficient, with a composition of CuFe0.33S0.81, and a mass of chalcocite and some covellite were detected. Comparing to the original chalcopyrite, the adsorption capacity of A. manzaensis was increased on the surface of oxidation-treatment at 0.67 V, and decreased on the surface of reduction-treatment at -0.54 V. It clearly demonstrates the bornite-containing copper deficient chalcopyrite surface was more preferably adsorbed, whereas the chalcocite-containing Fe/S deficient chalcopyrite surface was less adsorbed by A. manzaensis, indicating the dependence of the specific adsorption of A. manzaensis upon the secondary minerals as well as Fe/S availability in the microstructure of chalcopyrite.