Abstract
The structural response of buddingtonite [N(D/H)4AlSi3O8] on cooling has been studied by neutron diffraction. Data have been collected from 280 K down to 11 K, and the crystal structure refined using the Rietveld method. Rigid-body constraints were applied to the ammonium ion to explore the structural properties of ammonium in the M-site cavities at low-temperature. Low-temperature saturation is observed for almost all the lattice parameters. From the present in situ low-temperature neutron diffraction studies, there is no strong evidence of orientational order–disorder of the ammonium ions in buddingtonite.
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Acknowledgments.
The authors thank Professor Milan Rieder and two anonymous referees for the valuable comments that greatly improved the manuscript. M.M. acknowledges the financial support of Cambridge Commonwealth Trust and Overseas Research Scholarship. M.M. also acknowledges various discussions with Dr. W.T. Lee.
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Mookherjee, M., Redfern, S., Swainson, I. et al. Low-temperature behaviour of ammonium ion in buddingtonite [N(D/H)4AlSi3O8] from neutron powder diffraction. Phys Chem Minerals 31, 643–649 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00269-004-0425-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00269-004-0425-8