title: A Raman and infrared spectroscopic study of the mineral delvauxite CaFe4(3+)(PO4,SO4)2(OH)8·4-6H2O--a 'colloidal' mineral.
abstract: The mineral delvauxite CaFe(4)(3+)(PO(4),SO(4))(2)(OH)(8)·4-6H(2)O has been characterised by Raman spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy. The mineral is associated with the minerals diadochite and destinezite. Delvauxite appears to vary in crystallinity from amorphous to semi-crystalline. The mineral is often X-ray non-diffracting. The minerals are found in soils and may be described as 'colloidal' minerals. Vibrational spectroscopy enables determination of the molecular structure of delvauxite. Bands are assigned to phosphate and sulphate stretching and bending modes. Two symmetric stretching modes for both the phosphate and sulphate symmetric stretching modes support the concept of non-equivalent phosphate and sulphate units in the mineral structure. Multiple water bending and stretching modes imply that non-equivalent water molecules in the structure exist with different hydrogen bond strengths.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science and Technology, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. r.frost@qut.edu.au
authors.forename: Ray L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Frost
authors.forename: Sara J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Palmer
mesh_terms: D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D008903:Minerals / Q000737:chemistry*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared / Q000379:methods*; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000379:methods*; D013431:Sulfates / Q000737:chemistry; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals; D010710:Phosphates; D013431:Sulfates; D014867:Water