Synchrotron Radiation Infrared Spectromicroscopy: a Non- Invasive 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 spectromicroscopy. Spatial resolutions of less than ten micrometers and photon energies of less than an electron volt make synchrotron infrared spectromicroscopy non-invasive and useful for following the course of biogeochemical processes on complex heterogeneous surfaces of earth and environmental materials. In this review, we will first briefly describe the technology, and then present several examples demonstrating its application potentials of the technology in probing and imaging biogeochemical processes.