Crystal structure refinements of tetragonal (OH,F)‐rich spessartine and henritermierite garnets

Abstract

Cubic garnet (space group Ia\overline 3 d) has the general formula X3Y2Z3O12, where X, Y and Z are cation sites. In the tetragonal garnet (space group I41/acd), the corresponding cation sites are X1 and X2, Y, and Z1 and Z2. In both space groups only the Y site is the same. The crystal chemistry of a tetragonal (OH,F)-rich spessartine sample from Tongbei, near Yunxiao, Fujian Province, China, with composition X(Mn2.82Fe^{2+}_{0.14}Ca0.04)Σ3Y{Al1.95Fe^{3+}_{0.05}}Σ2Z[(SiO4)2.61(O4H4)0.28(F4)0.11]Σ3 (Sps94Alm5Grs1) was studied with single-crystal X-ray diffraction and space group I41/acd. The deviation of the unit-cell parameters from cubic symmetry is small [a = 11.64463 (1), c = 11.65481 (2) A, c/a = 1.0009]. Point analyses and back-scattered electron images, obtained by electron-probe microanalysis, indicate a homogeneous composition. The Z2 site is fully occupied, but the Z1 site contains vacancies. The occupied Z1 and Z2 sites with Si atoms are surrounded by four O atoms, as in anhydrous cubic garnets. Pairs of split sites are O1 with F11 and O2 with O22. When the Z1 site is vacant, a larger [(O2H2)F2] tetrahedron is formed by two OH and two F anions in the O22 and F11 sites, respectively. This [(O2H2)F2] tetrahedron is similar to the O4H4 tetrahedron in hydro­garnets. These results indicate ^{X}{{\rm Mn}^ {2+}_{3}}\,^{Y}{\rm Al}_{2}^{Z}[({\rm SiO}_{4})_{2}({\rm O}_{2}{\rm H}_{2})_{0.5}({\rm F}_{2})_{0.5}]_{\Sigma3} as a possible end member, which is yet unknown. The H atom that is bonded to the O22 site is not located because of the small number of OH groups. In contrast, tetragonal henritermierite, ideally ^{X}{\rm Ca}_{3}\,^{Y}{\rm Mn}^{3+}_{2}\,^{Z}[({\rm SiO}_{4})_{2}({\rm O}_{4}{\rm H}_{4})_1]_{\Sigma3}, has a vacant Z2 site that contains the O4H4 tetrahedron. The H atom is bonded to an O3 atom [O3—H3 = 0.73 (2) A]. Because of O2—Mn3+—O2 Jahn–Teller elongation of the Mn3+O6 octahedron, a weak hydrogen bond is formed to the under-bonded O2 atom. This causes a large deviation from cubic symmetry (c/a = 0.9534).