engleski

Vibrational spectroscopy of the silicate mineral plumbotsumite Pb5(OH)10Si4O8 – An assessment of the moleculare structure

We have used scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis to determine the precise formula of plumbotsumite, a rare lead silicate mineral of formula Pb5(OH)10Si4O8. This study forms the first systematic study of plumbotsumite from the Mammoth-St. Anthony mine, Tiger, Pinal County, Arizona, USA. Vibrational spectroscopy was used to assess the molecular structure of plumbotsumite as the structure is not known. The mineral is characterised by sharp Raman bands at 1047, 1055 and 1060 cm-1 assigned to SiO stretching vibrational modes and sharp Raman bands at 673, 683 and 697 cm-1 assigned to OSiO bending modes. The observation of multiple bands offers support for a layered structure with variable SiO3 structural units. Little information may be obtained from the infrared spectra because of broad spectral profiles. Intense Raman bands at 3510, 3546 and 3620 cm-1 are ascribed to OH stretching modes. Evidence for the presence of water in the plumbotsumite structure was inferred from the infrared spectra.

plumbotsumite; molecular structure; Raman spectroscopy; silicate; Infrared spectroscopy

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