DFT study of the reduction reaction of calcium perchlorate on olivine surface: Implications to formation of Martian’s regolithShow others and affiliations
2020 (English)In: Applied Surface Science, ISSN 0169-4332, E-ISSN 1873-5584, Vol. 512, article id 145634Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Perchlorates have been found widespread on the surface of Mars, their origin and degradation pathways are not understood to date yet. We investigate here, from a theoretical point of view, the potential redox processes that take place in the interaction of Martian minerals such as olivine, with anhydrous and hydrated perchlorates. For this theoretical study, we take as mineral substrate the (1 0 0) surface of forsterite and calcium perchlorate salt as adsorbate. Our DFT calculations suggests a reduction pathway to chlorate and chlorite. When the perchlorate has more than 4 water molecules, this mechanism, which does not require high-temperature or high energy sources, results in parallel with the oxidation of the mineral surface, forming magnesium peroxide, MgO2, and in the formation of ClO3, which through photolysis is known to form ClO-O2. Because of the high UV irradiance that reaches the surface of Mars, this may be a source of O2 on Mars. Our results suggest that this process may be a natural removal pathway for perchlorates from the Martian regolith, which in the presence of atmospheric water for salt hydration, can furthermore lead to the production of oxygen. This mechanism may thus have implications on the present and future habitability of the Martian surface.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2020. Vol. 512, article id 145634
Keywords [en]
Calcium perchlorate, Reduction, Oxygen, Water, Mars, Chlorate, Chlorite, Ozone, Magnesium peroxide, Regolith, (1 0 0) forsterite surface, Olivine, Chemisorption, Physisorption, Redox, Infrared spectroscopy, Density Functional Theory (DFT)
National Category
Materials Chemistry Aerospace Engineering
Research subject
Atmospheric science
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-77702DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.145634ISI: 000522731700036Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85079320511OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-77702DiVA, id: diva2:1393002
Note
Validerad;2020;Nivå 2;2020-02-17 (johcin)
2020-02-142020-02-142020-04-28Bibliographically approved