Molecular Insights into the Interaction Mechanism Underlying the Aggregation of Humic Acid and Its Adsorption on Clay Minerals

Humic acid (HA) is ubiquitous in both terrestrial and aquatic environments, and understanding the molecular interaction mechanisms underlying its aggregation and adsorption is of vital significance. However, the intermolecular interactions of HA–HA and HA–clay mineral systems in complex aqueous environments remain elusive. Herein, the interactions of HA with various model surfaces (i.e., HA, mica, and talc) were quantitatively measured in aqueous media at the nanoscale using an atomic force microscope. The HA–HA interaction was found to be purely repulsive during surface approach, consistent with free energy calculation; during retraction, pH-dependent adhesion was observed due to the protonation/deprotonation of HA that influences the formation of hydrogen bonds. Different from the mica case, hydrophobic interaction was detected for the HA–talc system at pH 5.8, contributing to the stronger HA–talc adhesion, as also evidenced by adsorption results. Notably, HA–mica adhesion strongly depended on the loading force and contact time, most likely because of the short-range and time-dependent interfacial hydrogen bonding interaction under confinement, as compared to the dominant hydrophobic interaction for the HA–talc case. This study provides quantitative insights into the fundamental molecular interaction mechanisms underlying the aggregation of HA and its adsorption on clay minerals of varying hydrophobicity in environmental processes.