Chanabayaite, Cu2(N3C2H2)Cl(NH3,Cl,H2O,□)4, a new mineral containing triazolate anion

Abstract

A new mineral, chanabayaite, has been discovered at a guano deposit located at Mt. Pabellon de Pica near the village of Chanabaya, Iquique Province, Tarapaca region, Chile. It is associated with salammoniac, halite, joanneumite, nitratine and earlier chalcopyrite. Chanabayaite occurs as blue translucent imperfect prismatic crystals, up to 0.05 × 0.1 × 0.5 mm in size, and their radial aggregates. Chanabayaite is brittle, with a Mohs’ hardness of 2. The cleavage is perfect on (001) and imperfect on (100) and (010). Dmeas = 1.48(2) g/cm3, Dcalc = 1.464 g/cm3. The mineral is optically biaxial (–), α = 1.561(2), β = 1.615(3), γ = 1.620(2), 2Vmeas = 25(10)°, 2Vcalc = 33°. Pleochroism is strong, Z ≈ Y (deep blue) ≫ X (pale blue with gray tint). IR spectrum is given. The chemical composition (electron microprobe data for Cu, Fe and Cl; gas chromatography data for H, N, C and O) is as follows (wt %): 32.23 Cu, 1.14 Fe, 16.13 Cl, 3.1 H, 29.9 N, 12.2 C, 3.4 O, total is 98.1. The empirical formula is (Z = 4): Cu1.92Fe0.08Cl1.72N8.09C3.85H11.66O0.81. The structural model was based on the single-crystal X-ray diffraction data (R = 0.1627). Chanabayaite is orthorhombic, space group Imma, a = 19.484(3), b = 7.2136(10), c = 11.999(4) A, V = 1686.5(7) A3, Z = 2. In chanabayaite, chains of the corner-sharing Cu(l)-centered octahedra and single Cu(2)-centered octahedra are linked via 1,2,4-triazolate anions C2N3H2-. NH3 and Cl– are additional ligands coordinating Cu2+. Chanabayaite is a transformational mineral species formed by leaching of Na and one third of Cl and partial dehydration of the protophase Na2Cu2Cl3(N3C2H2)2(NH3)2 • 4H2O. The strongest reflections in the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [d, A (I, %) (hkl)] are detected: 10.19 (100) (101), 6.189 (40) (011), 5.729 (23) (301), 5.216 (75) (211, 202), 4.964 (20) (400), 2.830 (20) (602, 413, 503), 2.611 (24) (123, 422, 404).