Heterogeneous nucleation

While previous studies have shown the formation of only layer structured Mn oxide with slow kinetics in laboratory, I found how natural Mn oxides can ubiquitously occur rapidly with various structures via crystal nucleation and growth at mineral (e.g., Fe oxide, TiO2 or quartz)-water interfaces. Furthermore, the novel findings showed that a conventional Eh-pH diagram does not reflect the fate of Mn occurring at mineral-water interfaces, where most reactions occur in practical environmental and engineered systems. Therefore, fundamental understanding of dissolution and crystallization of Mn oxides at mineral-water interfaces will provide pathways not only to suppress the dissolution, but also to control the elevated concentration of Mn2+(aq) by precipitation before it is consumed.