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Influence of citric acid on the natural formation of imogolite

Nature volume 308, pages 58–60 (1984)Cite this article

Abstract

Imogolite, a hydrous aluminosilicate with paracrystalline cylindrical structures1, has been extensively isolated from the B horizon of ando soils2–4 and podzols5–9. Imogolite imparts significant effects on ion exchange properties, acidity, stability and biodegradability of organic matter, and physical and engineering properties of soils3,10. Its formation and stability are therefore of great interest in soil and environmental sciences. Imogolite was synthesized from a solution containing hydroxy-Al ions and orthosilicic acid at pH<5 (refs 11–13). The interaction of hydroxy-Al ions with orthosilicic acid may be influenced by low molecular weight organic acids which are constantly introduced to soils through natural vegetation and farming. However, relatively few data are available on the impeding effect of low molecular weight organic acids on the formation of imogolite14 and on the properties of the reaction products. We report here that citric acid (molar ratio of citric acid to Al at ≤0.1) greatly perturbs the interaction of hydroxy-Al ions with orthosilicic acid, and thus hinders the subsequent formation of imogolite, leading to the formation of disordered aluminosilicates and pseudoboehmite in the precipitation products. The soluble products formed in the presence of citric acid were characterized by the predominance of proto-imogolite sol and Al-citrate chelates.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Saskatchewan Institute of Pedology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 0W0

    K. Inoue & P. M. Huang

  2. Faculty of agriculture, Iwate University, Morioka, Japan, 020

    K. Inoue

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  1. K. Inoue
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  2. P. M. Huang
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Inoue, K., Huang, P. Influence of citric acid on the natural formation of imogolite. Nature 308, 58–60 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/308058a0

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