Browsing by Person "Lenhardt, Katharina R."

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Potential pitfalls when using popular chemical extractions to characterize Al‐ and Fe‐containing soil constituents
(2025) Rennert, Thilo; Lenhardt, Katharina R.; Rennert, Thilo; Department of Soil Chemistry and Pedology, Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany; Lenhardt, Katharina R.; Department of Soil Chemistry and Pedology, Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
Wet‐chemical extraction of soil to quantify pedogenic species or to remove specific compounds prior to other analyses is an established approach in analytical soil mineralogy and soil chemistry. Interpretation and informational value of data derived from long‐established and frequently used extractions, for instance involving dithionite, oxalate/oxalic acid in the dark (AOD), and pyrophosphate (PYR), suffers from nonuniform practical regulation and missing knowledge about potential methodical limitations. In this review, we analyzed potential pitfalls of these frequently used extractions, with the focus on selectivity and completeness of the methods as derived from effects of time dependency and of phase separation. Major problems we identified comprised that time‐dependency of extraction differed between analytical targets, that a multitude of species is attacked, reducing the selectivity for the original analytical target, and that studies on extraction from model compounds, including analytical targets and nontargets, are not universally present. The latter aspect is crucial for the completeness of AOD and PYR extraction that has not been proven for all potential analytical targets of the methods yet. We practically tested citrate (CIT) extraction of aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) in organic association, using selected models of soil constituents. Apart from a synthesized poorly ordered Si‐rich short‐range ordered aluminosilicate, CIT did not extract Al from nontarget phases, confirming previous studies, but did extract Al and Fe completely from organic associations. In addition to recommendations on the practical use of dithionite‐based, AOD, citrate‐ascorbate (CA), and CIT extraction, we suggest replacing highly problematic PYR extraction by CIT extraction for metals in organic association in soil and using AOD extraction in combination with CA and CIT extraction to avoid potential misinterpretation of ambiguous data.
Release of glucose from dissolved and mineral‐bound organic matter by enzymatic hydrolysis
(2023) Lenhardt, Katharina R.; Brandt, Luise; Poll, Christian; Rennert, Thilo; Kandeler, Ellen
Sorption of dissolved organic matter (DOM) by poorly crystalline minerals during their formation may protect large amounts of carbon in soils from mineralization. We investigated the bioavailability of carbohydrates in DOM and after co-precipitation with short-range ordered aluminosilicates. Carbohydrates originated from soil solutions collected in situ at two depths of a Dystric Cambisol, and from litter extracts. Quantification of substrate-specific degradability was achieved by the addition of β-glucosidase at an optimal concentration and subsequent determination of glucose release. Depending on DOM composition, 0.6–41.4 mg g−1 C−1 of glucose was enzymatically released from dissolved carbohydrates. Co-precipitated carbohydrates were partially accessible, resulting in a glucose release of 0.7–5.2 mg g−1 C−1. Restricted enzymatic depolymerization due to co-precipitation may contribute to accumulation of easily degradable substrates in soils.
Synthesis of short-range ordered aluminosilicates at ambient conditions
(2021) Lenhardt, Katharina R.; Breitzke, Hergen; Buntkowsky, Gerd; Reimhult, Erik; Willinger, Max; Rennert, Thilo
We report here on structure-related aggregation effects of short-range ordered aluminosilicates (SROAS) that have to be considered in the development of synthesis protocols and may be relevant for the properties of SROAS in the environment. We synthesized SROAS of variable composition by neutralizing aqueous aluminium chloride with sodium orthosilicate at ambient temperature and pressure. We determined elemental composition, visualized morphology by microscopic techniques, and resolved mineral structure by solid-state 29Si and 27Al nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Nitrogen sorption revealed substantial surface loss of Al-rich SROAS that resembled proto-imogolite formed in soils and sediments due to aggregation upon freezing. The effect was less pronounced in Si-rich SROAS, indicating a structure-dependent effect on spatial arrangement of mass at the submicron scale. Cryomilling efficiently fractured aggregates but did not change the magnitude of specific surface area. Since accessibility of surface functional groups is a prerequisite for sequestration of substances, elucidating physical and chemical processes of aggregation as a function of composition and crystallinity may improve our understanding of the reactivity of SROAS in the environment.