A SEM, EDS and vibrational spectroscopic study of the tellurite mineral: Sonoraite Fe3+Te4+O3(OH)•H2O

We have undertaken a study of the tellurite mineral sonorite using electron microscopy with EDX combined with vibrational spectroscopy. Chemical analysis shows a homogeneous composition, with predominance of Te, Fe, Ce and In with minor amounts of S. Raman spectroscopy has been used to study the mineral sonoraite an examples of group A(XO3), with hydroxyl and water units in the mineral structure. The free tellurite ion has C-3v symmetry and four modes, 2A(1) and 2E. An intense Raman band at 734 cm(-1) is assigned to the v(1) (TeO3)(2-) symmetric stretching mode. A band at 636 cm(-1) is assigned to the v(3) (TeO3)(2-) antisymmetric stretching mode. Bands at 350 and 373 cm(-1) and the two bands at 425 and 438 cm(-1) are assigned to the (TeO3)(2-) v(2) (A(1)) bending mode and (TeO3)(2-) v(4) (E) bending modes. The sharp band at 3283 cm(-1) assigned to the OH stretching vibration of the OH units is superimposed upon a broader spectral profile with Raman bands at 3215, 3302, 3349 and 3415 cm(-1) are attributed to water stretching bands. The techniques of Raman and infrared spectroscopy are excellent for the study of tellurite minerals. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.