This research line began during my PhD at UGR, and became one of the central themes of my postdoctoral research. It was demonstrated that, although traditionally disregarded as a main hazard for building stone, chemical processes (dissolution) are in fact crucial in the weathering of building stones in contact with saline solutions. A feedback is established between chemical and mechanical weathering that ultimately controls the disintegration of the material.

I studied the mechanism of fluid-induced chemical weathering and particularly the effect of solution composition, initially performing batch macroscopic dissolution experiments and subsequently using in situ Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) during my pre-doctoral research visit to the group of Professor Andrew Putnis at the University of Münster (Germany). Afterwards, I concentrated on a systematic study of the kinetics of calcite and dolomite dissolution in a range of solutions containing alkali cations balanced by halide anions. I also studied the interactions between organic molecules and calcite during dissolution with potential direct applications in reducing solution-induced weathering of building stone by the formation of protective nano-coatings. This has implications in a wide range of fields where the presence of organic molecules may affect the growth and/or dissolution of mineral species, including biomineralization, medicine, the oil and cement industry.

Related to this research line, I have developed skills in the following aspects: geochemical modelling of solution-mineral systems using computational software (PHREEQC), growth and dissolution experiments at the nanoscale by in situ AFM and analysis of reaction products using field emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).