Stabilities of thiomolybdate complexes of iron; implications for retention of essential trace elements (Fe, Cu, Mo) in sulfidic waters

Abstract

In aquatic ecosystems, availabilities of Fe, Mo and Cu potentially limit rates of critical biological processes, including nitrogen fixation, nitrate assimilation and N₂O decomposition. During long periods in Earth's history when large parts of the ocean were sulfidic, what prevented these elements' quantitative loss from marine habitats as insoluble sulfide phases? They must have been retained by formation of soluble complexes. Identities of the key ligands are poorly known but probably include thioanions. Here, the first determinations of stability constants for Fe²⁺–[MoS₄]²⁻ complexes in aqueous solution are reported based on measurements of pyrrhotite (hexagonal FeS) solubility under mildly alkaline conditions. Two linear complexes, [FeO(OH)MoS₄]³⁻ and [(Fe₂S₂)(MoS₄)₂]⁴⁻, best explain the observed solubility variations. Complexes that would be consistent with cuboid cluster structures were less successful, implying that such clusters probably are minor or absent in aqueous solution under the conditions studied. The new data, together with prior data on stabilities of Cu⁺–[MoS₄]²⁻ complexes, are used to explore computationally how competition of Fe²⁺ and Cu⁺ for [MoS₄]²⁻, as well as competition of [MoS₄]²⁻ and HS⁻ for both metals would be resolved in solutions representative of sulfidic natural waters. Thiomolybdate complexes will be most important at sulfide concentrations near the [MoO₄]²⁻–[MoS₄]²⁻ equivalence point. At lower sulfide concentrations, thiomolybdates are insufficiently stable to be competitive ligands in natural waters and at higher sulfide concentrations HS⁻ ligands out-compete thiomolybdates.