A vibrational spectroscopic study of the copper bearing silicate mineral luddenite.

The molecular structure of the copper-lead silicate mineral luddenite has been analysed using vibrational spectroscopy. The mineral is only one of many silicate minerals containing copper. The intense Raman band at 978 cm(-1) is assigned to the ν1 (A1g) symmetric stretching vibration of Si5O14 units. Raman bands at 1122, 1148 and 1160 cm(-1) are attributed to the ν3 SiO4 antisymmetric stretching vibrations. The bands in the 678-799 cm(-1) are assigned to OSiO bending modes of the (SiO3)n chains. Raman bands at 3317 and 3329 cm(-1) are attributed to water stretching bands. Bands at 3595 and 3629 cm(-1) are associated with the stretching vibrations of hydroxyl units suggesting that hydroxyl units exist in the structure of luddenite.