Oxidation state of chromium associated with cell surfaces of Shewanella oneidensis during chromate reduction

Employing electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), we demonstrate that in both aerobic and anaerobic culture Shewanella oneidensis cells are capable of chromate reduction. No Cr(VI) or Cr(V) species were identified at the cell surfaces in Cr 2p3/2 core photoelectron spectra. More chromium was associated with cell surfaces recovered from anaerobic medium than aerobic. Multiplet-splitting models derived for Cr(III) and Cr(IV) were employed to determine contributions from each ion to Cr 2p3/2 photopeaks collected from the various cell treatments. Whilst in all cases Cr(III) was the major ion associated with cell surfaces, a significant contribution was identified due to Cr(IV) in anaerobically grown cells. The Cr(IV) contribution was far less when cells were grown aerobically. Moreover, when anaerobically grown cells were exposed to oxygen very little re-oxidation of Cr-precipitates occurred, the precipitates were again identified as a mixture of Cr(III) and Cr(IV). A positive relationship was observed between amounts of chromium and phosphorous associated with cell surfaces resulting from the various treatments, suggesting the precipitates included Cr(III)-phosphate. The fact that Cr(IV) remained associated with precipitates following re-oxidation suggests that under anaerobic conditions the intermediate ion is afforded sufficient stability to be incorporated within the precipitate matrix and thus conferred a degree of protection from oxidation.