Sinnerite, Cu6As4S9, from the Lengenbach Quarry, Binn Valley, Switzerland: description and re-investigation of the crystal structure

Luca Bindi; Emil Makovicky; Fabrizio Nestola; Luca De Battisti

doi:10.3749/canmin.51.6.851

Sinnerite, Cu₆As₄S₉, from the Lengenbach Quarry, Binn Valley, Switzerland: description and re-investigation of the crystal structure

Luca Bindi, Emil Makovicky, Fabrizio Nestola, Luca De Battisti

Geology

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We have characterized the crystal structure of sinnerite, Cu6As4S9, a rare sulfosalt mineral from the ores of the Lengenbach quarry, Binn Valley, Canton Valais, Switzerland, by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and chemical analysis. We found sinnerite to be structurally identical to synthetic Cu6As4S9. It is triclinic, space group P1, with cell parameters: a 9.103(2), b 9.860(3), c 9.111(2) Å, α 90.27(2), β 109.53(2), γ 107.58(2)°, V 729.6(4) Å3, and Z = 2. Semi-quantitative SEM-EDS analyses confirmed the Cu6As4S9 stoichiometry. The crystal structure of an untwinned crystal has been refined to R1 = 5.45%. It consists of a sphalerite substructure with 2/5 of the tetrahedra replaced by AsS3 pyramids; four pyramids form As4S12 clusters around the vacant anion positions of the sphalerite archetype. These pyramids are linked into twisted and branched chain-like structures with compositions As3S7 and As5S11. The chains are linked by CuS4 tetrahedra. Packing of these chains results in the OD (order-disorder) character of the sinnerite structure.

Original language	English
Journal	Canadian Mineralogist
Volume	51
Issue number	6
Pages (from-to)	851-860
Number of pages	10
ISSN	0008-4476
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3749/canmin.51.6.851
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2013

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@article{e8c8d42b408c49a284ae9433ade55d64,

title = "Sinnerite, Cu6As4S9, from the Lengenbach Quarry, Binn Valley, Switzerland: description and re-investigation of the crystal structure",

abstract = "We have characterized the crystal structure of sinnerite, Cu6As4S9, a rare sulfosalt mineral from the ores of the Lengenbach quarry, Binn Valley, Canton Valais, Switzerland, by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and chemical analysis. We found sinnerite to be structurally identical to synthetic Cu6As4S9. It is triclinic, space group P1, with cell parameters: a 9.103(2), b 9.860(3), c 9.111(2) {\AA}, α 90.27(2), β 109.53(2), γ 107.58(2)°, V 729.6(4) {\AA}3, and Z = 2. Semi-quantitative SEM-EDS analyses confirmed the Cu6As4S9 stoichiometry. The crystal structure of an untwinned crystal has been refined to R1 = 5.45%. It consists of a sphalerite substructure with 2/5 of the tetrahedra replaced by AsS3 pyramids; four pyramids form As4S12 clusters around the vacant anion positions of the sphalerite archetype. These pyramids are linked into twisted and branched chain-like structures with compositions As3S7 and As5S11. The chains are linked by CuS4 tetrahedra. Packing of these chains results in the OD (order-disorder) character of the sinnerite structure.",

author = "Luca Bindi and Emil Makovicky and Fabrizio Nestola and {De Battisti}, Luca",

year = "2013",

month = dec,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3749/canmin.51.6.851",

language = "English",

volume = "51",

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journal = "Canadian Mineralogist",

issn = "0008-4476",

publisher = "Mineralogical Association of Canada",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Sinnerite, Cu6As4S9, from the Lengenbach Quarry, Binn Valley, Switzerland

T2 - description and re-investigation of the crystal structure

AU - Bindi, Luca

AU - Makovicky, Emil

AU - Nestola, Fabrizio

AU - De Battisti, Luca

PY - 2013/12/1

Y1 - 2013/12/1

N2 - We have characterized the crystal structure of sinnerite, Cu6As4S9, a rare sulfosalt mineral from the ores of the Lengenbach quarry, Binn Valley, Canton Valais, Switzerland, by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and chemical analysis. We found sinnerite to be structurally identical to synthetic Cu6As4S9. It is triclinic, space group P1, with cell parameters: a 9.103(2), b 9.860(3), c 9.111(2) Å, α 90.27(2), β 109.53(2), γ 107.58(2)°, V 729.6(4) Å3, and Z = 2. Semi-quantitative SEM-EDS analyses confirmed the Cu6As4S9 stoichiometry. The crystal structure of an untwinned crystal has been refined to R1 = 5.45%. It consists of a sphalerite substructure with 2/5 of the tetrahedra replaced by AsS3 pyramids; four pyramids form As4S12 clusters around the vacant anion positions of the sphalerite archetype. These pyramids are linked into twisted and branched chain-like structures with compositions As3S7 and As5S11. The chains are linked by CuS4 tetrahedra. Packing of these chains results in the OD (order-disorder) character of the sinnerite structure.

AB - We have characterized the crystal structure of sinnerite, Cu6As4S9, a rare sulfosalt mineral from the ores of the Lengenbach quarry, Binn Valley, Canton Valais, Switzerland, by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and chemical analysis. We found sinnerite to be structurally identical to synthetic Cu6As4S9. It is triclinic, space group P1, with cell parameters: a 9.103(2), b 9.860(3), c 9.111(2) Å, α 90.27(2), β 109.53(2), γ 107.58(2)°, V 729.6(4) Å3, and Z = 2. Semi-quantitative SEM-EDS analyses confirmed the Cu6As4S9 stoichiometry. The crystal structure of an untwinned crystal has been refined to R1 = 5.45%. It consists of a sphalerite substructure with 2/5 of the tetrahedra replaced by AsS3 pyramids; four pyramids form As4S12 clusters around the vacant anion positions of the sphalerite archetype. These pyramids are linked into twisted and branched chain-like structures with compositions As3S7 and As5S11. The chains are linked by CuS4 tetrahedra. Packing of these chains results in the OD (order-disorder) character of the sinnerite structure.

U2 - 10.3749/canmin.51.6.851

DO - 10.3749/canmin.51.6.851

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0008-4476

VL - 51

SP - 851

EP - 860

JO - Canadian Mineralogist

JF - Canadian Mineralogist

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ER -