Coherent microscopic understanding of the interaction of water with the calcite(104) surface

• Applicant: Dr. Philipp Rahe
• Subject Area: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 508008230

The interaction between water and mineral surfaces is of most significant and broad importance at the planetary down to the atomic level. Calcite (CaCO3), the most stable polymorph of one of the most abundant mineral in earth's crust, is of particular interest in this field of study due to its involvement in many processes such as the geological carbon cycle or biomineralisation in living organisms. The aim of this project is to determine the microscopic properties of water on calcite(104) from a fundamental perspective. In particular, the adsorption geometry of single water molecules, the influence of the calcite(104) surface reconstruction on water adsorption, the water-surface and water-water interactions at different coverage, as well as the response of the calcite(104) surface to water adsorption will be in focus of this project. Experiments using high-resolution non-contact atomic force microscopy performed at 5K with functionalised tips will be performed to map the surface structure, image the water assembly, and to measure interaction forces at the sub-molecular scale. The investigation of electronic properties of this water/calcite(104) system will be performed by advanced variants of atomic force microscopy. Ultimately, this project has the goal to provide a coherent understanding of water adsorption on calcite(104).

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Finland
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Adam Stuart Foster