X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopic Study of the Possible Interactions of Biocells with the Surfaces of Select Silicates

Silicate minerals are the dominant materials in the Earth's crust, and thus literally define the term "geochemistry’, but, with the exception of glass chemistry and some areas of catalysis, silicates have, in the past, received scant attention in many areas of chemistry, physics and materials science. In fact, many chemists are largely uninformed about the broad diversity of silicate structures and bondings. Recent explorations by biochemists in the pathogenesis of certain diseases have, however, resulted in a new-found, much broader interest in silicates. This paper extends our studies of the chemistry of mineral silicates using primarily x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS or ESCA). Following a short consideration of the sometimes contradictory arguments concerning the possible pathogenicity of these materials, we will outline our rapidly expanding unique studies of the interaction of certain biocellular bodies with select silicate systems. The latter studies feature the first "before, during and after’ analyses of the silicates (as well as the cells), with the implementation of unique methods for cell–silicate separation and also the freeze drying and surface analysis of the combined systems. In this manner we have been able to identify cell-induced modifications in the surface chemistry of the silicate components, along with alterations in the cellular species. Many of these analyses were facilitated by the recent clarifications in bioorganic ESCA.