Structural and IR relations among brucite-like divalent metal hydroxides

The a and c unit cell parameters of M(OH)₂, brucite-like structures with M=Mg, Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, Cd, and Ca, are considered in relation to M-O distances taken as the sum of the ionic radii, M^VI and O^IV. The a parameters are related to (M-O) by flattening of the octahedral coordination groups, with a flattening angle α=97.4±0.4°. The c parameters are divided into the octahedral layer thickness, h(oct), and the interlayer spacing h(inter). The latter is related to the (O-H) distances, which decrease as (M-O) increases. Infrared v(O-H) stretching frequencies vary with (M-O) in the same manner as h(inter) varies with (M-O). The values of v(O-H) decrease as h(inter) decreases and the atomic weight of the cations increases. The results are consistent with previous data for cation-substituted talcs. It is suggested that the M²⁺ ions associated with the O^2? ions modify the reduced mass of the O-H vibrations so that v(O-H) decreases with increasing mass of M.