Clarifying chemical processes in the environment is tantamount to creating a better and a safer planet. The chemistry that takes place within the natural world occurs not only in the bulk gaseous, liquid, and solid phases, but also in the region where two phases meet. This molecularly thin region between phases, also known as an interface, plays a significant role in various chemical processes because interfaces are ubiquitous in nature. Despite the significance of interfacial processes in environmental chemistry, investigating environmental interfaces experimentally has always been a challenge. Recent advances in nonlinear spectroscopy (NLS) have demonstrated that techniques such as sum frequency generation (SFG) and second harmonic generation (SHG) are unique in their ability to probe buried chemical interfaces. The theoretical and practical aspect of these techniques in probing environmental interfaces is the primary focus of this e-book. This e-book is geared toward curious and inquisitive minds eager to learn how molecules behave at the thin layers of chemical interfaces. A beautiful world, rich in unique insights into the interfacial environmental processes, awaits.

This text probes topics and reviews progress in interfacial electrochemistry. It supplies chapter abstracts to give readers a concise overview of individual subjects and there are more than 1500 drawings, photographs, micrographs, tables and equations. The 118 contributors are international scholars who present theory, experimentation and applications.

"Molecular Environmental Soil Science at the Interfaces in the Earth's Critical Zone" presents contributions from the 1st International Symposium of Molecular Environmental Soil Science at the Interfaces in the Earth's Critical Zone held in Hangzhou, China. It introduces new ideas, findings, methods, and experience on above new and emerging subject areas. A broad range of topics are covered: the role of mineral colloids in carbon turnover and sequestration and the impact on climate change, biogeochemical interfacial reactions and dynamics of vital and toxic elements, ecotoxicology of anthropogenic organics, environmental nanoparticles and their impacts, and ecosystem health. The book will be a valuable reference for researchers in soil chemistry, environmental chemistry, mineralogy, microbiology, ecology, ecotoxicology, and physics. Jianming Xu is a Professor at the Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, China. Pan Ming Huang is a Professor at the Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, Canada.

The book highlights recent developments in the field of spectroscopy by providing the readers with an updated and high-level of overview. The focus of this book is on the introduction to concepts of modern spectroscopic techniques, recent technological innovations in this field, and current examples of applications to molecules and materials relevant for academia and industry. The book will be beneficial to researchers from various branches of science and technology, and is intended to point them to modern techniques, which might be useful for their specific problems. Spectroscopic techniques, that are discussed include, UV-Visible absorption spectroscopy, XPS, Raman spectroscopy, SERS, TERS, CARS, IR absorption spectroscopy, SFG, LIBS, Quantum cascade laser (QCL) spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, ellipsometry, cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy, such as cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) and evanescent wave-CRDS both in gas and condensed phases, time-resolved spectroscopy etc. Applications introduced in the different chapters demonstrates the usefulness of the spectroscopic techniques for the characterization of fundamental properties of molecules, e.g. in connection with environmental impact, bio-activity, or usefulness for pharmaceutical drugs, and materials important e.g. for nano-science, nuclear chemistry, or bio-applications. The book presents how spectroscopic techniques can help to better understand substances, which have also great impact on questions of social and economic relevance (environment, alternative energy, etc.).

Volume 49 of Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry reviews the state of the art of synchrotron radiation applications in low temperature geochemistry and environmental science, and offer speculations on future developments. The reader of this volume will acquire an appreciation of the theory and applications of synchrotron radiation in low temperature geochemistry and environmental science, as well as the significant advances that have been made in this area in the past two decades. It gives a fairly comprehensive overview of synchrotron radiation applications in low temperature geochemistry and environmental science, describes the ways that synchrotron radiation is generated, including a history of synchrotrons and a discussion of aspects of synchrotron radiation that are important to the experimentalist, describes specific synchrotron methods that are most useful for single-crystal surface and mineral-fluid interface studies as well as methods that can be used more generally for investigating complex polyphase fine-grained or amorphous materials, including soils, rocks, and organic matter.

This comprehensive reference collects fundamental theories and recent research from a wide range of fields including biology, biochemistry, physics, applied mathematics, and computer, materials, surface, and colloid science-providing key references, tools, and analytical techniques for practical applications in industrial, agricultural, and forensic processes, as well as in the production of natural and synthetic compounds such as foods, minerals, paints, proteins, pharmaceuticals, polymers, and soaps.

Emerging Natural and Tailored Nanomaterials for Radioactive Waste Treatment and Environmental Remediation: Principles and Methodologies, Volume 29 provides an overview of the most important radionuclide sources in the environment, their interaction with environmental media, and appropriate remediation techniques. The book focuses on the assessment of radionuclide sorption behavior in contaminated sites and the synthesis of new materials for radionuclides remediation through sorption concepts. Chapters investigate the main interaction mechanisms between toxic/radioactive metal ions with natural and manmade materials, natural clay minerals and oxides, and novel nanomaterials, such as ordered mesoporous silicas, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and metal-organic framework-based materials. Techniques and models discussed include kinetics analysis, thermodynamic analysis, surface complexation models, spectroscopic techniques, and theoretical calculations. - Provides a systemic discussion on the interactions between toxic and radioactive metal ions and natural and manmade materials - Helps to select the best approach to remove toxic/radioactive metal ions from a surface - Edited by a scientific authority in toxic/radioactive metal ion interactions