Abstract

Recent studies have reported the significant role of Au-bearing nanoparticles in the formation of hydrothermal gold deposits. Despite the ever-increasing understanding of the genesis and stability of Au-bearing nanoparticles, it is still unknown how they behave when exposed to hydrothermal fluids. Here, we study the nanostructural evolution of Au–Ag nanoparticles hosted within Co-rich diarsenides and sulfarsenides of a natural hydrothermal deposit. We use high-resolution transmission electron microscopy to provide a singular glimpse of the complete melting sequence of Au–Ag nanoparticles exposed to the hydrothermal fluid during coupled dissolution–precipitation reactions of their host minerals. The interaction of Au–Ag nanoparticles with hydrothermal fluids at temperatures (400–500 ºC) common to most hydrothermal gold deposits may promote melting and generation of Au–Ag nanomelts. This process has important implications in noble metal remobilization and accumulation during the formation of these deposits.

Details

Title
A track record of Au–Ag nanomelt generation during fluid-mineral interactions
Author
Domínguez-Carretero, Diego 1 ; González-Jiménez, José María 2 ; Proenza, Joaquín A. 3 ; Villanova-de-Benavent, Cristina 1 ; Llovet, Xavier 4 ; Garcia-Casco, Antonio 5 

 Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Universitat de Barcelona, Departament de Mineralogia, Barcelona, Spain (GRID:grid.5841.8) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0247) 
 Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR), Granada, Spain (GRID:grid.466807.b) 
 Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Universitat de Barcelona, Departament de Mineralogia, Barcelona, Spain (GRID:grid.5841.8) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0247); Universitat de Barcelona, Institut de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia, IN2UB Facultat de Química, Barcelona, Spain (GRID:grid.5841.8) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0247) 
 Universitat de Barcelona, Centres Científics i Tecnològics, Barcelona, Spain (GRID:grid.5841.8) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0247) 
 Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR), Granada, Spain (GRID:grid.466807.b); Universidad de Granada, Departamento de Mineralogía y Petrología, Facultad de Ciencias, Granada, Spain (GRID:grid.4489.1) (ISNI:0000000121678994) 
Pages
7895
Publication year
2023
Publication date
2023
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2814214774
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2023. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.