Molecular structure of the adelite group of minerals - a Raman spectroscopic study

The application of Raman microscopy to the study of closely related mineral phases of the adelite group has allowed their molecular characterization. The adelite group of minerals are orthorhombic arsenates and vanadates of general formula AB(2+) (XO4)(OH), where X may be As5+ or V5+, cation A may be Ca or Pb and cation B may be Co or Cu and others. Raman spectroscopy has proven most powerful for the identification of these minerals. In particular, the position of the hydroxyl stretching vibrations and most of the arsenate bands have been identified. The two minerals tangeite and calciovolborthite have previously been identified as the same mineral. Raman spectroscopy has proven that the minerals are not identical and have different structures. The application of Raman spectroscopy to the study of these minerals shows that increased distortion of the arsenate anion occurs as the cationic substitution from conichalcite to austinite to duftite occurs. Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.