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The crystal structure of magnesiozippeite, Mg[(UO2)2O2(SO4)](H2O)3.5, from East Saddle Mine, San Juan County, Utah (U.S.A.)

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Abstract

The crystal structure of natural magnesiozippeite, Mg[(UO2)2O2(SO4)](H2O)3.5, from East Saddle mine, San Juan County, U.S.A., has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and refined to R obs = 0.0348. The mineral is monoclinic, crystallizing in the space group C2/m, with unit cell parameters a = 8.7005(5), b = 14.2541(6), c = 8.8433(5)Å, β = 104.408(5)°, V = 1062.24(9) Å3 and Z = 4. The structure consists of the structural sheets of zippeite topology, represented by a structure unit [(UO2)2O2(SO4)]2−, and an interlayer where two Mg2+ Φ6 octahedra are located. The crystal structure of natural magnesiozippeite shows considerable differences to the structure of previously reported synthetic analogue, namely in coordination of Mg2+ in the interlayer.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank our colleague P. Škácha (Mining Museum, Příbram) for microphotography of the magnesiozippeite specimen. Juraj Majzlan (Friedrich-Schiller Universität, Jena) is acknowledged for SE image og magnesiozippeite and for discussion on the topic. Peter Burns (University of Notre Dame, U.S.A.) is highly acknowledged for providing us with the unpublished data for the synthetic Mn-zippeite-like compound and lot of useful information. Reviews by the two anonymous referees helped us to improve the manuscript considerably, as well as suggestions of the handling guest editor Manfred Wildner. The Premium Academiae of the Institute of Physics, ASCR v.v.i., the project P204/11/0809 of the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic and the EU-project “Research group for radioactive waste repository and nuclear safety” (CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0052) to RŠ are highly acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Physics ASCR, v.v.i., Na Slovance 2, CZ-182 21, Praha 8, Czech Republic

    Jakub Plášil, Karla Fejfarová & Michal Dušek

  2. Department of Geological Sciences, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno, CZ–611 37, Czech Republic

    Radek Škoda

  3. 5199 E. Silver Oak Road, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA

    Joe Marty

  4. Department of Mineralogy and Petrology, National Museum, Cirkusová 1740, CZ–193 00, Praha 9, Czech Republic

    Jiří Čejka

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  1. Jakub Plášil
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  2. Karla Fejfarová
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  3. Radek Škoda
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  4. Michal Dušek
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  5. Joe Marty
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  6. Jiří Čejka
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Correspondence to Jakub Plášil.

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Editorial handling: M. Wildner

Dedicated to Prof. Josef Zemann in occasion of his 90th birthday.

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Plášil, J., Fejfarová, K., Škoda, R. et al. The crystal structure of magnesiozippeite, Mg[(UO2)2O2(SO4)](H2O)3.5, from East Saddle Mine, San Juan County, Utah (U.S.A.). Miner Petrol 107, 211–219 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-012-0241-7

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