Clays in Soil Science and Soil Chemistry

Dear Colleagues,

Clays and clay minerals belong to a rich family of hydrous aluminum phyllosilicates, formed in nature by the weathering transformation of primary silicate minerals. They are variable in chemical composition, and their properties highly dependent on their origin material and location. Clays are not only found naturally but can also be prepared synthetically. Due to their unique structures and properties, they have many applications, such as smart materials in material chemistry and the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and construction industries. Their high abundance worldwide makes them an essential component of soils, where they play an important role in numerous soil processes. This makes clays of particular interest in fields such as soil science and soil chemistry.

This Special Issue will study the impacts of clays and clay minerals in soils by considering the behavior and interactions of clays with components of organic and inorganic nature, such as soil organic matter, heavy metals and pesticides, as contaminants. This Special Issue welcomes different perspectives from computer simulations methods such as quantum chemical, classical molecular dynamics, Monte Carlo and Machine Learning models, as well as experimental approaches, such as microcalorimetry, nano-SIMS, AFM, and XANES measurements, and a combination of both approaches.

Dr. Edgar Galicia-Andrés
Prof. Dr. Daniel Tunega
Guest Editors

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