Spectroscopic investigation and theoretical modeling of kaolinite-group minerals and other low-temperature phases /Balan, Etienne /Fritsch, Emmanuel Allard, T. Morin, G. Guillaumet, M. Delattre, S. Blanchard, M. Calas, G. Spectroscopy Ab initio modeling Laterites Clay minerals Iron oxides This article summarizes some recent results obtained on the physical properties of environmental minerals, mostly kaolinite-group minerals and Fe- and Al-(hydr)oxides occurring in lateritic soils. The defective structure of these minerals, including impurities, stacking faults and radiation-induced defects, is probed using infrared spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance. Resulting information bears on models of soil formation and transformation mechanisms of minerals in low-temperature environments. We underline the increasing impact of quantum chemical modeling in this field, providing straightforward interpretations of spectroscopic signals and overcoming the limits of fingerprint approaches. Importantly, the first-principles modeling of isotopic fractionation factors provides new links between mineralogical and geochemical investigations of secondary minerals. 2011 text https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010053512 fdi:010053512 Balan Etienne, Fritsch Emmanuel, Allard T., Morin G., Guillaumet M., Delattre S., Blanchard M., Calas G.. Spectroscopic investigation and theoretical modeling of kaolinite-group minerals and other low-temperature phases. 2011, 343 (2-3), 177-187 EN