Ammineite
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| Ammineite | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | |
| Category | Chloride mineral |
| Formula | CuCl2(NH3)2 |
| IMA symbol | Amm[1] |
| Crystal system | Orthorhombic |
| Crystal class | Dipyramidal (mmm) H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m) |
| Space group | Cmcm |
| Unit cell | a = 7.79, b = 10.64 c = 5.84 [Å] (approximated) |
| Identification | |
| Color | Blue |
| Crystal habit | Hypidiomorphic crystals; powdery masses |
| Mohs scale hardness | 1 |
| Luster | Vitreous |
| Streak | Light blue |
| Specific gravity | 2.38 (calculated) |
| Pleochroism | Dark blue to light blue |
| References | [2][3] |
Ammineite is the first recognized mineral containing ammine groups. Its formula is [CuCl2(NH3)2]. The mineral is chemically pure. It was found in a guano deposit in Chile.[2][3] At the same site other ammine-containing minerals were later found:[4][5][6][7]
- Chanabayaite, CuCl(N3C2H2)(NH3)·0.25H2O (an alternative formula), a triazolate mineral
- Joanneumite, Cu(C3N3O3H2)2(NH3)2, an isocyanurate mineral
- Shilovite, Cu(NH3)4(NO3)2
The characteristic features of the structure of ammineite are:[2]
- layers of trans form of the copper complex, parallel to (001), connected by Cu-Cl bonds
- presence of CuN2Cl4 distorted octahedron ([4+2] coordination)
- edge-sharing of the octahedra produce zigzag chains along the [001] direction
- hydrogen bonds between NH3 and Cl atoms