An EXAFS Study of Cation Site Distortions Through the P2/c−P1¯ Phase Transition in the Synthetic Cuproscheelite-Sanmartinite Solid Solution

P. F. Schofield*, J. M. Charnock, C. M. B. Henderson and G. Cressey1
Department of Geology, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
1 Department of Mineralogy, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
*Present Address: Department of Mineralogy, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK

Abstract: EXAFS spectroscopy has been used to monitor changes in divalent cation site geometries across the P2/c−P1¯ phase transition in the sanmartinite (ZnWO4)-cuproscheelite (CuWO4) solid solution at ambient and liquid nitrogen temperatures. In the ZnWO4 end member, Zn occupies axially-compressed ZnO6 octahedra with two axial Zn-O bonds at approximately 1.95 Å and four square planar Zn-O bonds at approximately 2.11 Å. The substitution of Zn by Cu generates a second Zn environment with four short square planar Zn-O bonds and two longer axial Zn-O bonds. The proportion of the latter site increases progressively as the Cu content increases. Cu EXAFS reveals that the CuO6 octahedra maintain their Jahn-Teller axially-elongate geometry throughout the majority of the solid solution and only occur as axially-compressed octahedra well within the stability field of the Zn-rich phase with monoclinic long-range order.

Keywords: EXAFS spectroscopy • sanmartinite • cuproscheelite • phase transition

Mineralogical Magazine; June 1994 v. 58; no. 391; p. 185-199; DOI: 10.1180/minmag.1994.058.391.01
© 1994, The Mineralogical Society
Mineralogical Society (www.minersoc.org)