Unique aluminosilicate-based natural nanoparticles in the volcanogenic Goshiki-numa pond

We report here the occurrence of uniquely shaped nanoparticles newly discovered in natural ponds. Nanoparticles originate from the Goshiki-numa pond community in Japan, where volcanic activity facilitated the formation of four specific ponds. We built a steric three-dimensional image of nanoparticles by integrating 120 transmission-electron-microscope image fragments obtained from various angle ranges. The thick-walled, cylindrically shaped particle has an outer diameter that measures approximately 40 nm and a length that measures 70 nm. A 10-nm-thick wall surrounds a 30 nm hole located in the particle centre. Particles are composed of an aluminium silicate-based material with an Al₂O₃:SiO₂ ratio of 2:1. They also exhibit an amorphous X-ray diffraction pattern. Although the water solubility characteristics and the infrared spectrum of these newly discovered particles resembles imogolite, these two materials do not have identical structural characteristics.