Pyrite facet-dependent microbial oxidation and interfacial interaction mechanisms: An example of crystal facets variability with different modes of biofilm attachment
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Updated: Sep 10, 2025

Preparation of Authigenic Pyrite from Methane-bearing Sediments for In Situ Sulfur Isotope Analysis Using SIMS
Published on: August 31, 2017
Dandan Yang1, Jinye Liang1, Quanliu Yang2
1School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Biohydrometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China.
Abstract:
Different crystal facets of pyrite are anisotropic, which affects the biogeochemical cycling of iron. However, the potential mechanisms of interfacial interactions between pyrite and microorganisms on different exposed crystal surfaces are unclear. Therefore, this study investigates the effect of the interaction of pyrite {100} and {210} facets with Sulfobacillus thermophilidoxidans YN22 on the dissolution of pyrite. The results showed that the {210} facets formed larger pearl-string corrosion pits and the biological oxidation rate was about 20 % higher than that of the {100} facets. This was attributed to the higher reactivity of the {210} facets with 4-coordinated iron atoms and electron transfer capacity, which promoted a wider and denser distribution of biofilms on their surfaces, thus accelerating the oxidative dissolution of the {210} facets and the formation of larger corrosion pits. In addition, the {100} facets showed a more dispersed biofilm distribution and their surfaces were prone to form more K-jarosite, which hindered the oxidation of the {100} facets. This study revealed that the surface properties of different crystal facets {100} and {210} of pyrite affect biocorrosion, providing a new perspective on the oxidation process of pyrite with microorganisms at different crystal facets.
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