Amanda Granja

Vibrational spectroscopy of the phosphate mineral kovdorskite-Mg2PO4(OH)·3H2O.

The mineral kovdorskite Mg2PO4(OH)·3H2O was studied by electron microscopy, thermal analysis and vibrational spectroscopy. A comparison of the vibrational spectroscopy of kovdorskite is made with other magnesium bearing phosphate minerals and compounds. Electron probe analysis proves the mineral is very pure. The Raman spectrum is characterized by a band at 965 cm(-1) attributed to the PO4(3-) ν1 symmetric stretching mode. Raman bands at 1057 and 1089 cm(-1) are attributed to the PO4(3-) ν3 antisymmetric stretching modes. Raman bands at 412, 454 and 485 cm(-1) are assigned to the PO4(3-) ν2 bending modes. Raman bands at 536, 546 and 574 cm(-1) are assigned to the PO4(3-) ν4 bending modes. The Raman spectrum in the OH stretching region is dominated by a very sharp intense band at 3681 cm(-1) assigned to the stretching vibration of OH units. Infrared bands observed at 2762, 2977, 3204, 3275 and 3394 cm(-1) are attributed to water stretching bands. Vibrational spectroscopy shows that no carbonate bands are observed in the spectra; thus confirming the formula of the mineral as Mg2PO4(OH)·3H2O.

Infrared and Raman spectroscopic characterisation of the sulphate mineral creedite--Ca3Al2SO4(F,OH)·2H2O--and in comparison with the alums.

The mineral creedite is a fluorinated hydroxy hydrated sulphate of aluminium and calcium of formula Ca3Al2SO4(F,OH)·2H2O. The mineral has been studied by a combination of electron probe analysis to determine the molecular formula of the mineral and the structure assessed by vibrational spectroscopy. The spectroscopy of creedite may be compared with that of the alums. The Raman spectrum of creedite is characterised by an intense sharp band at 986 cm(-1) assigned to the SO4(2)- ν1 (Ag) symmetric stretching mode. Multiple bands of creedite in the antisymmetric stretching region support the concept of a reduction in symmetry of the sulphate anion. Multiple bands are also observed in the bending region with the three bands at 601, 629 and 663 cm(-1) assigned to the SO4(2)- ν4 (Ag) bending modes. The observation of multiple bands at 440, 457 and 483 cm(-1) attributed to the SO4(2)- ν2 (Bg) bending modes supports the concept that the symmetry of the sulphate is reduced by coordination to the water bonded to the Al(3+) in the creedite structure. The splitting of the ν2, ν3 and ν4 modes is attributed to the reduction of symmetry of the SO4 and it is proposed that the sulphate coordinates to water in the hydrated aluminium in bidentate chelation.