Figure 5.

Combined topography and surface charge images on an area of a dickite crystal before addition of potassium malonate (a) and after the addition of malonate (b). The addition of malonate results in negatively charged clusters at edge surfaces and step edges and reduces the overall negative surface charge at the basal surfaces. The same area measured again under the same experimental conditions shows the growth of negatively charged clusters and further reduction of basal surface negative charge (c). Experiments carried out at pH = 5.