X-ray diffraction （XRD） and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） analyses were carried out to investigate the surface species and interfacial reactions during bioleaching of chalcopyrite by different strains of moderately thermophilic bacteria （45 °C）. Results show that monosulfide （CuS）, disulfide （S22？）, polysulfide （Sn2？）, elemental sulfur （S0） and sulfate （SO42？） are the main intermediate species on the surface of chalcopyrite during bioleaching byA. caldus,S. thermosulfidooxidans andL. ferriphilum. The low kinetics of dissolution of chalcopyrite inA. caldus can be mainly attributed to the incomplete dissolution of chalcopyrite and the passivation layer of polysulfide. Polysulfide and jarosite should be mainly responsible for the passivation of chalcopyrite in bioleaching byL. ferriphilumorS. thermosulfidooxidans. However, elemental sulfur should not be the main composition of passivation layer of chalcopyrite during bioleaching.
Iron L-edge and sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure（XANES） spectroscopy analysis of pyrite leached by extreme thermophilic Archaea strain Acidianus manzaensis（A.manzaensis） was carried out.Leaching experiments show that the oxidation of pyrite can be accelerated by A.manzaensis.Leaching results show that with the increase of leaching time,pH value in the leaching solution gradually decreases,redox potential increases rapidly from day 0 to day 3,and then increases slowly.The SEM results show that the pyrite surfaces are corroded gradually by A.manzaensis,and the XRD results show that the leaching residues contain new compositions of jarosite and elemental sulfur（S0）.The iron L-edge XANES spectroscopy analysis of pyrite during biooxidation indicates that pyrite is gradually converted to Fe（III）-containing species.The sulfur K-edge XANES spectroscopy analysis indicates that elemental sulfur is produced during bioleaching and maintains mass fractions of 3.2%-5.9%.Sodium thiosulfate was also detected from day 2 to day 4,indicating the existence of thiosulfate during biooxidation of pyrite.
