A Mössbauer and X-ray diffraction study of annites synthesized at different oxygen fugacities and crystal chemical implications

A refined set of Mössbauer parameters (isomer shifts, quadrupole splittings, Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ ratios) and lattice parameters were obtained from annites synthesized hydrothermally at pressures between 3 and 5 kbars, temperatures ranging from 250 to 780° C and oxygen fugacities controlled by solid state buffers (NNO, QMF, IM, IQF). Mössbauer spectra showed Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ on both the M1 and the M2 site. A linear relationship between Fe³⁺ content and oxygen fugacity was observed. Towards low Fe³⁺ values this linear relationship ends at ≈10% of total iron showing that the Fe³⁺ content cannot be reduced further even if more reducing conditions are used. This indicates that in annite at least 10% Fe²⁺ are substituted by Fe³⁺ in order to match the larger octahedral layer to the smaller tetrahedral layer. IR spectra indicate that formation of octahedral vacancies plays an important role for charge balance through the substitution 3 Fe²⁺ → 2 Fe³⁺ + ?_(oct).