Molecular dynamics simulations of the gibbsite-water interface with sodium chloride and lead

GEOC 143

Louise J. Criscenti and Randall T. Cygan. Geochemistry Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185-0750
Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to examine the adsorption of lead on a neutral gibbsite surface from an aqueous NaCl solution. A slab model of the hydroxylated basal surface (26Å x 20Å x 18Å) of gibbsite with a 30Å water layer was used to represent this system. Two Na+ and two Cl- ions were added to represent a 0.2M NaCl solution. In a 150 ps simulation, one Cl- and one Na+ ion adsorb to gibbsite as an inner-sphere and outer-sphere complex respectively. Calculations with 2 Na+, 1 Pb2+, and 4 Cl- ions suggest that Cl- and Na+ may adsorb as an ion pair. Three Cl- ions interact with Pb2+ in bulk solution for this case. Initial results suggest that Pb2+ is strongly attracted to Cl- in aqueous solution at these concentrations (0.2M NaCl, 0.1M PbCl2), and will only adsorb to the gibbsite surface in coordination with a Cl- ion.