Home Light-induced degradation dynamics in realgar: in situ structural investigation using single-crystal X-ray diffraction study and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
Article
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Light-induced degradation dynamics in realgar: in situ structural investigation using single-crystal X-ray diffraction study and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

  • Atsushi Kyono EMAIL logo , Mitsuyoshi Kimata and Tamao Hatta
Published/Copyright: March 28, 2015
Become an author with De Gruyter Brill

Abstract

Light-induced degradation in realgar (arsenic sulfide) has been studied by means of four-circle single-crystal X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Because of the alteration of realgar exposed to light, the a lattice parameter and c sinβ value increase linearly from 9.327 to 9.385 Å and fro|m 6.320 to 6.364 Å, respectively. In contrast, the b lattice parameter remains substantially constant. Anisotropic variations of the lattice parameters engender a continuous increase of the unit-cell volume from 799.5 to 810.4 Å3. Nevertheless, no correlation exists between the continuous increase of the unit-cell volume and the bond distance variations in As4S4 molecules because the As4S4 molecule in the unit cell expands very little during light exposure. The most pronounced change was in the distance between centroids UiAs4S4 cages. The spread of As4S4 intermolecular distances increases continuously from 5.642 to 5.665 Å, which directly affects the unit-cell volume expansion of realgar. In addition, the O1s peak increases rapidly after light exposure. The result substantiates the following reaction proposed by Biudi et al. (2003): 5As4S4 + 3O2 -> 4As4S5 + 2As2O5. That is, realgar is transformed into pararealgar if oxygen exists and produces the As4S5 molecule. The additional S atom contributes to anisotropic expansion for the a and c axes because the direction of the additional S atom points toward [41̅4] in the unit cell. Furthermore, an S atom in the As4S5 molecule is released from one of the equivalent As-S-As linkages in As4S5 which becomes the As4S4 molecular of pararealgar. After the As4S5 molecule is divided into an S atom (radical) and the As4S4 (pararealgar type) molecule, the free S atom is re-attached to another As4S4 (realgar type) molecule, and reproduces an As4S5 molecule. The reproduced As4S5 molecule is again divided into an S atom (radical) and an As4S4 (pararealgar type) molecule. This cycle whereby realgar is indirectly transformed into pararealgar via the As4S5 molecule is promoted by light and repeated during light exposure.

Received: 2005-8-12
Accepted: 2005-2-11
Published Online: 2015-3-28
Published in Print: 2005-10-1

© 2015 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Presidential Address To The Mineralogical Society Of Amrica, Boston, November 6, 2001: Some Precambrian Banded Iron-Formations (BiIFs) From Around The World: Their Age, Geologic Setting, Mineralogy, Metamorphism, Geochemistry, And Origin
  2. Effects of high pressure and high temperature on cation ordering in magnesioferrite, MgFe2O4, using in situ synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction up to 1430 K and 6 GPa
  3. Raman spectroscopy and vibrational analyses of albite: From 25 °C through the melting temperature
  4. A new occurrence of xitieshanite [Fe3+(SO4)Cl⋅6H2O] crystals in acid-mine seepways, Green Valley, Vigo County, Indiana, U.S.A.
  5. Effect of A-site cation radius on ordering of BX6 octahedra in (K,Na)MgF3 perovskite
  6. Crystal chemistry of NaMgF3 perovskite at high pressure and temperature
  7. Hyperfine electric field gradient tensors at Fe2+ sites in octahedral layers: Toward understanding oriented single-crystal Mössbauer spectroscopy measurements of micas
  8. Does the bazhenovite structure really contain a thiosulfate group? A structural and spectroscopic study of a sample from the type locality
  9. Light-induced degradation dynamics in realgar: in situ structural investigation using single-crystal X-ray diffraction study and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
  10. Absolute quantification by powder X-ray diffraction of complex mixtures of crystalline and amorphous phases for applications in the Earth sciences
  11. Detrital illite crystals identified from crystallite thickness measurements in siliciclastic sediments
  12. High-temperature density of lanthanide-bearing Na-silicate melts: Partial molar volumes for Ce2O3, Pr2O3, Nd2O3, Sm2O3, Eu2O3, Gd2O3, Tb2O3, Dy2O3, Ho2O3, Er2O3, Tm2O3, and Yb2O3
  13. Coupled dichotomies of apatite and fluid composition during contact metamorphism of siliceous carbonate rocks
  14. The effect of zoned garnet on metapelite pseudosection topology and calculated metamorphic P-T paths
  15. Low-pressure and low-temperature K-bearing kosmochloric diopside from the Osayama serpentinite mélange, SW Japan
  16. Dehydration of natural stilbite: An in situ FTIR study
  17. Structural changes accompanying the phase transformation between leadhillite and susannite: A structural study by means of in situ high-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction
  18. Optic properties of centimeter-sized crystals determined in air with the spindle stage using EXCALIBRW
  19. Zoltaiite, a new barium-vanadium nesosubsilicate mineral from British Columbia: Description and crystal structure
  20. Mn-tourmaline from island of Elba (Italy): Crystal chemistry
  21. Letter: An infrared study of carbon-oxygen bonding in magnesite to 60 GPa
  22. Letter: Metals in quartz-hosted melt inclusions: Natural facts and experimental artifacts
  23. Letter: A high-pressure phase transition of calcite-III
  24. Letter: Experimental observation of an interface-controlled pseudomorphic replacement reaction in a natural crystalline pyrochlore
  25. Letter: A natural scandian garnet
Downloaded on 7.11.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.2138/am.2005.1785/html
Scroll to top button