Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 April 2024
The crystal structure of phengite-2M1 from Rio de Oro, Spanish Sahara, was refined in space group C2/c to a residual of 3.3% with 1267 independent X-ray diffraction reflections. The composition of the mica determined by electron microprobe analysis is (K0.948Na0.051Ba0.027)(Al1.510Mg0.273Fe0.144Cr0.095Ti0.010Mn0.003)2.035(Si3.253Al0.747)O10(OH)2. The cell dimensions are a = 5.2153(5), b = 9.043(2), c = 19.974(9) Å, β = 95.789(9)°, and V = 937.2(3) Å3. The substitution of Si for Al in the tetrahedral sheet and larger divalent cations for Al in the octahedra allows the amount of distortions that are generally required to alleviate tetrahedral-octahedral sheet lateral misfit in muscovite, such as tetrahedral rotation and octahedral flattening, to be reduced. The O…H vector is nearly horizontal and points slightly into the octahedral sheet where it may be involved in hydrogen bond contacts inside M(1). In contrast to previously reported refinements of all but one other phengite, no ordering of tetrahedral cations was found in the study specimen. This disorder is considered to be due to the low-pressure, high-temperature amphibolite facies environment of crystallization.