Microporous crystal structure of labuntsovite-Fe and high-pressure behavior up to 23 GPa

Abstract

Labuntsovite-Fe, an Fe-dominant member of the labuntsovite subgroup, was first discovered in the Khibiny alkaline massif on Mt Kukisvumchorr [Khomyakov et al. (2001). Zap. Vseross. Mineral. Oba, 130, 36–45]. However, no data are published about the crystal structure of this mineral. Labuntsovite-Fe from a peralkaline pegmatite located on Mt Nyorkpakhk, in the Khibiny alkaline complex, Kola Peninsula, Russia, has been investigated by means of electron microprobe analyses, single-crystal X-ray structure refinement, and IR and Raman spectroscopies. Monoclinic unit-cell parameters of labuntsovite-Fe are: a = 14.2584 (4), b = 13.7541 (6), c = 7.7770 (2) Å, β = 116.893 (3)°; V = 1360.22 (9) Å3; space group C2/m. The structure was refined to final R 1 = 0.0467, wR 2 = 0.0715 for 3202 reflections [I > 3σ(I)]. The refined crystal chemical formula is (Z = 2): Na2K2Ba0.7[(Fe0.5Ti0.1Mg0.05)(H2O)1.3]{[Ti2(Ti1.9Nb0.1)(O,OH)4][Si4O12]2}·4H2O. The high-pressure in situ single-crystal X-ray diffraction study of the labuntsovite-Fe has been carried out in a diamond anvil cell. The labuntsovite-type structure is stable up to 23 GPa and phase transitions are not observed. Calculations using the BM3 equation of state resulted in the bulk modulus K = 72 (2) GPa, K′0 = 3.7 (2) and V 0 = 1363 (2) Å3. Compressing of the heteropolyhedral zeolite-like framework leads to the deformation of main structural units. Octahedral rods show the gradual increase of distortion and the wave-like character of rods becomes more distinct. Rod deformations result in the distortion of the silicon–oxygen ring which is not equal in different directions. Structural channels are characterized by a different ellipticity–pressure relationship: the cross-section of the largest channel I and channel II demonstrates the stability of the geometrical characteristics which practically do not depend on pressure: ∊channel I ≃ 0.85 (4) (cross-section is rather regular) and ∊channel II ≃ 0.52 (2) within the whole pressure range. However, channel III is characterized by the increasing of ellipticity with pressure (∊ = 0.40 → 0.10).