The primary objective of this study is to determine the effect of substrate type on the coordination environments of Cu 2+ adsorbed on amorphous SiO 2 , γ-Al 2 O 3 , and anatase at a surface coverage of approximately 1 µmol/m 2 . We also collected X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) data for several Cu 2+ -containing model compounds, including tenorite ( VI CuO), spertiniite [ VI Cu(OH) 2 ], dioptase ( VI CuSiO 2 ·H 2 O), shattuckite [ VI Cu 5 (SiO 3 ) 4 (OH) 2 ], chrysocolla [ VI (Cu,Al) 2 H 2 Si 2 O 5 (OH) 4 ·nH 2 O], and Cu 2+ acetate monohydrate [ VI Cu(CH 3 CO 2 ) 2 ·H 2 O], for comparison with the sorption sample data. Detailed analysis of these model compounds indicates that the bonding of second neighbors surrounding a central Cu absorber determines whether these second neighbors can be detected by XAFS. The XAFS results of Cu 2+ sorption samples are consistent with the presence of Jahn-Teller distorted Cu 2+ (O,OH) 6 octahedra, with four equatorial Cu-O bonds (1.95 Å) and two longer axial bonds; the axial Cu-O bonds are difficult to characterize quantitatively by XAFS spectroscopy. Cu 2+ sorbed on amorphous SiO 2 was found to have Cu second and third neighbors at 2.95 Å, 3.30 Å, and 5.72 Å, but no Cu-Si correlation was detected for these sorption products associated with amorphous SiO 2 . Based on XAFS and wet chemical results, it seems likely that a Cu(OH) 2 precipitate has formed in the Cu 2+ /amorphous SiO 2 system. Cu 2+ sorbed on γ-Al 2 O 3 is present as a mixture of monomeric, dimeric, and perhaps a small number of oligomeric hydroxo-bridged Cu(O,OH) 6 species with a Cu-Cu distance of approximately 2.95 Å. Sorbed Cu 2+ on anatase is present predominantly as hydroxo-bridged Cu dimers. At similar sorption densities, Cu 2+ cluster sizes on amorphous SiO 2 are significantly larger than those on γ-Al 2 O 3 or anatase, indicating that the substrate has an important effect on the type of Cu 2+ sorption complex or precipitates formed.