Raman Spectroscopic Study of the Antimony Containing Mineral Partzite Cu₂Sb₂(O,OH)₇

ABSTRACT

Raman spectroscopy of the mineral partzite Cu₂Sb₂(O,OH)₇ complemented with infrared spectroscopy were studied and related to the structure of the mineral. The Raman spectrum shows some considerable complexity with a number of overlapping bands observed at 479, 520, 594, 607, and 620 cm⁻¹ with additional low-intensity bands found at 675, 730, 777, and 837 cm⁻¹. Raman bands of partzite in the spectral region 590 to 675 cm⁻¹ are attributable to the ν₁ symmetric stretching modes. The Raman bands at 479 and 520 cm⁻¹ are assigned to the ν₃ antisymmetric stretching modes. Raman bands at 1396 and 1455 cm⁻¹ are attributed to SbOH deformation modes. A complex pattern resulting from the overlapping band of the water and OH units is found. Raman bands are observed at 3266, 3376, 3407, 3563, 3586, and 3622 cm⁻¹. The first three bands are assigned to water stretching vibrations. The three higher wavenumber bands are assigned to the stretching vibrations of the OH units. It is proposed that based upon observation of the Raman spectra that water is involved in the structure of partzite. Thus, the formula Cu₂Sb₂(O,OH)₇ may be better written as Cu₂Sb₂(O,OH)₇·xH₂O.

KEYWORDS:

• antimony oxide
• bindheimite
• brandholzite
• lewisite
• partzite bahianite
• Raman spectroscopy
• romeite
• stetefeldtite
• stibiconite
• valentinite

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The financial and infrastructure support of the Queensland University of Technology Inorganic Materials Research Program of the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences is gratefully acknowledged. The Australian Research Council (ARC) is thanked for funding the instrumentation.