inorganic compounds
Open access
Robertsite, ideally Ca2Mn3O2(PO4)3·3H2O [calcium manganese(III) tris(orthophosphate) trihydrate], can be associated with the arseniosiderite structural group characterized by the general formula Ca2A3O2(TO4)3·nH2O, with A = Fe, Mn; T = As, P; and n = 2 or 3. In this study, single-crystal X-ray diffraction data were used to determine the robertsite structure from a twinned crystal from the type locality, the Tip Top mine, Custer County, South Dakota, USA, and to refine anisotropic displacement parameters for all atoms. The general structural feature of robertsite resembles that of the other two members of the arseniosiderite group, the structures of which have previously been reported. It is characterized by sheets of [MnO6] octahedra in the form of nine-membered pseudo-trigonal rings. Located at the center of each nine-membered ring is a PO4 tetrahedron, and the other eight PO4 tetrahedra sandwich the Mn-oxide sheets. The six different Ca2+ ions are seven-coordinated in form of distorted pentagonal bipyramids, [CaO5(H2O)2], if Ca-O distances less than 2.85 Å are considered. Along with hydrogen bonding involving the water molecules, they hold the manganese-phosphate sheets together. All nine [MnO6] octahedra are distorted by the Jahn-Teller effect.
inorganic compounds
Open access
The crystal structure of durangite, ideally NaAl(AsO4)F (chemical name sodium aluminium arsenate fluoride), has been determined previously [Kokkoros (1938). Z. Kristallogr. 99, 38-49] using Weissenberg film data without reporting displacement parameters of atoms or a reliability factor. This study reports the redetermination of the structure of durangite using single-crystal X-ray diffraction data from a natural sample with composition (Na0.95Li0.05)(Al0.91Fe3+0.07Mn3+0.02)(AsO4)(F0.73(OH)0.27) from the type locality, the Barranca mine, Coneto de Comonfort, Durango, Mexico. Durangite is isostructural with minerals of the titanite group in the space group C2/c. Its structure is characterized by kinked chains of corner-sharing AlO4F2 octahedra parallel to the c axis. These chains are cross-linked by isolated AsO4 tetrahedra, forming a three-dimensional framework. The Na+ cation (site symmetry 2) occupies the interstitial sites and is coordinated by one F- and six O2- anions. The AlO4F2 octahedron has symmetry -1; it is flattened, with the Al-F bond length [1.8457 (4) Å] shorter than the Al-O bond lengths [1.8913 (8) and 1.9002 (9) Å]. Examination of the Raman spectra for arsenate minerals in the titanite group reveals that the position of the band originating from the As-O symmetric stretching vibrations shifts to lower wavenumbers from durangite, maxwellite [ideally NaFe(AsO4)F], to tilasite [CaMg(AsO4)F].