【科技日报】黄金形成过程首次实现纳米尺度“直播”

Core Insights - A research team led by researchers from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has utilized in-situ liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy to observe the dynamic process of gold nanoparticle formation on the surface of pyrite in a liquid environment for the first time [1][2] - The study proposes a new mechanism for gold precipitation induced by pyrite, revealing the presence of a special "dense liquid layer" at the pyrite-water interface, which acts as a "nano-factory" to catalyze the nucleation, growth, and enrichment of gold in extremely low concentration gold-bearing fluids [1][2] Research Findings - The research indicates that gold nanoparticles do not form spontaneously in the solution but are generated within the "dense liquid layer" closely adhering to the pyrite surface [2] - The dissolution of pyrite significantly reduces the oxygen fugacity within this layer, altering the local chemical environment and facilitating the rapid supersaturation of gold ions, leading to their precipitation as solid particles [2] - This mechanism can drive the migration and enrichment of gold at the interface even when the external solution has an extremely low gold concentration, challenging the traditional view that gold primarily originates from deep hydrothermal fluids [2] Implications - The findings provide new insights into the micro-dynamics of gold enrichment in both hydrothermal gold deposits and surface gold accumulation processes, opening new pathways for understanding mineralization processes driven by nanoparticles in nature [2] - The research also holds significant implications for interface regulation in green gold leaching processes [2]