Science Alert November 18, 2020
The ‘Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption’ of 1975–1976, and a second, lesser follow-up that took place between 2012–2013 opening rocky terrain to 130 unknown minerals which were identified. researchers in Russia have identified the latest one, petrovite, a sulfate mineral that takes shape as blue globular aggregates of tabular crystals, many holding gaseous inclusions. The copper atom in the crystal structure of petrovite has an unusual and rare coordination of seven oxygen atoms. At the chemical level, petrovite represents a new type of crystal structure. Its molecular framework – consisting of oxygen atoms, sodium sulphur and copper – is effectively porous in nature, demonstrating interconnected pathways that could enable sodium ions to migrate through the structure. Due to that behaviour – and the team thinks this could lead to important applications in material science, potentially enabling new ways of developing cathodes for use in batteries and electrical devices…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Crystal structure showing sodium migration pathways. (Filatov et al., Mineralogical Magazine, 2020)