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Ce, Gd and Yb accumulation in microalgae: an L-edge XAS study.

Maxence Plouviez1, Karla Wolmarans2, Benoit Guieysse2

  • 1Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax Street East, Nelson, 7010, New Zealand.

Acta Crystallographica. Section C, Structural Chemistry
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PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Microalgae like Chlamydomonas reinhardtii can interact with rare earth elements, forming phosphate compounds. This suggests microalgae may offer a selective biological method for removing lanthanides from solutions.

Keywords:
Ce L3-edgeEXAFSGd L3-edgeXAFSYb L3-edgecrystal structurelanthaniderare earth removal

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Area of Science:

  • Biotechnology
  • Environmental Science
  • Chemistry

Background:

  • Rare earth elements (lanthanides) exhibit similar chemical properties, complicating their extraction and separation.
  • Biological processes offer potential for selective elemental interactions.
  • Microalgae can accumulate specific elements, presenting a novel approach for rare earth recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the interaction of cerium (Ce), gadolinium (Gd), and ytterbium (Yb) with the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
  • To explore the potential of microalgae for the selective separation of rare earth elements.
  • To characterize the chemical forms of lanthanides bound to microalgae.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), including X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS).
  • Analyzed lanthanide interactions at the Ce L3-edge, Gd L3-edge, and Yb L3-edge.
  • Characterized lanthanide-phosphate compounds formed by Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Main Results:

  • All three lanthanides (Ce, Gd, Yb) reacted with the algae to form phosphate compounds, irrespective of phosphate granule presence.
  • CePO4 formation was identified using XANES.
  • The structures of GdPO4 and YbPO4 were elucidated using EXAFS analysis.

Conclusions:

  • Chlamydomonas reinhardtii interacts with lanthanides to form phosphate compounds.
  • Microalgae demonstrate potential for selective rare earth element removal from aqueous solutions.
  • This biological approach could offer an environmentally friendly alternative for lanthanide recovery.