Lignin-derived aromatic structures
are stabilized in soils and
clay-rich fractions by iron oxyhydroxides. However, the dynamics and
energetics of sorption have not been determined and are challenging
to study directly in soil matrices due to the complex mineralogy and
organic molecular diversity of soils. Flow adsorption microcalorimetry
experiments conducted using cinnamate and its hydroxylated derivatives
(coumarate, ferulate, and sinapate) were used to assess the impact
of the position and type of R-group substituents (OH and OCH3) on the sorption behavior at the ferrihydrite–water interface.
The molar heat of sorption of (hydroxy)cinnamates was 1.17 kJ mol–1 and was consistent with an outer-sphere mechanism
that comprised both electrostatic and physisorption interactions.
Cinnamate sorption was endothermic and entropy-driven, whereas sorption
of the hydroxylated derivatives was exothermic. While the OH substituent
shifted the enthalpic response to exothermic, it had a minimal effect
on the duration and total energy of the reaction. With each OCH3 substituent added, both the energy and duration of reaction
were greater. Compared to OH, the OCH3 substituent contributed
significantly less to the molar heat of sorption, suggesting that
OCH3 facilitated the formation of intermolecular bonds
between sorbate molecules. The OH and OCH3 substituents
increased the energy of sorption by 54% but had a minimal effect on
the proportion of sorbate that was desorbed by nitrate: 54% for cinnamate
vs 51% for ferulate. These findings suggest that a significant fraction
of (hydroxy)cinnamate interactions with iron oxyhydroxides are weak
electrostatic forces and, unless protected within the mineral framework,
are highly susceptible to shifts in environmental conditions.