Synchrotron radiation infrared spectromicroscopy: A noninvasive chemical probe for monitoring biogeochemical processes

A long-standing desire in biogeochemistry is to be able to examine the cycling of elements by microorganisms, as the processes are happening on surfaces of earth and environmental materials. Over the past decade, physics, engineering, and instrumentation innovations have led to the introduction of synchrotron radiation-based infrared (IR) spectromicroscopy. Spatial resolutions of less than 10 micrometers (mu m) and photon energies of less than an electron volt make synchrotron IR spectromicroscopy non-invasive and useful for following the course of biogeochemical processes on complex heterogeneous surfaces of earth and environmental materials. In this chapter, we will first briefly describe the technology and then present several examples demonstrating its application potentials in probing and imaging biogeochemical processes. (c) 2006, Elsevier Inc.