Single-crystal EPR and DFT study of a VIAl–O−–VIAl center in jeremejevite: electronic structure and 27Al hyperfine constants

Abstract

Single-crystal electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of a gem-quality jeremejevite, Al6B5O15(F, OH)3, from Cape Cross, Namibia, reveal an S = 1/2 hole center characterized by an 27Al hyperfine structure arising from interaction with two equivalent Al nuclei. Spin-Hamiltonian parameters obtained from single-crystal EPR spectra at 295 K are as follows: g 1 = 2.02899(1), g 2 = 2.02011(2), g 3 = 2.00595(1); A 1/g e β e = −0.881(1) mT, A 2/g e β e = −0.951(1) mT, and A 3/g e β e = −0.972(2) mT, with the orientations of the g 3- and A 3-axes almost coaxial and perpendicular to the Al–O–Al plane; and those of the g 1- and A 1-axes approximately along the Al–Al and Al–OH directions, respectively. These results suggest that this aluminum-associated hole center represents hole trapping on a hydroxyl oxygen atom linked to two equivalent octahedral Al3+ ions, after the removal of the proton (i.e., a VIAl–O−–VIAl center). Periodic ab initio UHF and DFT calculations confirmed the experimental 27Al hyperfine coupling constants and directions, supporting the proposed structural model. The VIAl–O−–VIAl center in jeremejevite undergoes the onset of thermal decay at 300 °C and is completely bleached at 525 °C. These data obtained from the VIAl–O−–VIAl center in jeremejevite provide new insights into analogous centers that have been documented in several other minerals.