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Yang, Hexiong, Gu, Xiangping, Gibbs, Ronald B., Downs, Robert T. (2023) Virgilluethite: A New Mineral and the Natural Analogue of Synthetic β-MoO3·H2O, from Cookes Peak, Luna County, New Mexico, USA. The Canadian Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology, 61 (6) 1151-1162 doi:10.3749/2300041

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Reference TypeJournal (article/letter/editorial)
TitleVirgilluethite: A New Mineral and the Natural Analogue of Synthetic β-MoO3·H2O, from Cookes Peak, Luna County, New Mexico, USA
JournalThe Canadian Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
AuthorsYang, HexiongAuthor
Gu, XiangpingAuthor
Gibbs, Ronald B.Author
Downs, Robert T.Author
Year2023 (December)Volume61
Issue6
URL
DOIdoi:10.3749/2300041Search in ResearchGate
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Mindat Ref. ID17064324Long-form Identifiermindat:1:5:17064324:7
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Full ReferenceYang, Hexiong, Gu, Xiangping, Gibbs, Ronald B., Downs, Robert T. (2023) Virgilluethite: A New Mineral and the Natural Analogue of Synthetic β-MoO3·H2O, from Cookes Peak, Luna County, New Mexico, USA. The Canadian Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology, 61 (6) 1151-1162 doi:10.3749/2300041
Plain TextYang, Hexiong, Gu, Xiangping, Gibbs, Ronald B., Downs, Robert T. (2023) Virgilluethite: A New Mineral and the Natural Analogue of Synthetic β-MoO3·H2O, from Cookes Peak, Luna County, New Mexico, USA. The Canadian Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology, 61 (6) 1151-1162 doi:10.3749/2300041
In(2023, November) The Canadian Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology Vol. 61 (6). Mineralogical Association of Canada
Abstract/NotesThe new mineral virgilluethite, ideally β-MoO3·H2O, was discovered in an unnamed short adit on the Summit group of claims near Cookes Peak, Luna County, New Mexico, USA. All virgilluethite crystals are pseudomorphs after sidwillite and occur as aggregates of sub-parallel platy crystals. Associated minerals include sidwillite, raydemarkite, tianhuixinite, ilsemannite, jordisite, powellite, fluorite, baryte, pyrite, and quartz. Virgilluethite is pale yellow-green in transmitted light, transparent with white streak and vitreous luster. It is flexible with a Mohs hardness of ∼2; cleavage is perfect on \\010\\. No twinning was observed visually. The measured and calculated densities are 3.71(5) and 3.69 g/cm3, respectively. Virgilluethite is insoluble in water or hydrochloric acid. An electron probe microanalysis yielded an empirical formula (Mo1.00)O3·H2O based on 4 O apfu.Virgilluethite is the natural analogue of the β-form of MoO3·H2O, which was first synthesized over a century ago (Rosenheim \\& Davidsohn 1903). It is monoclinic, space group P21/c, with unit-cell parameters a = 7.2834(3), b = 10.6949(6), c = 7.4861(3) Å, β = 112.779(2)°, V = 583.03(5) Å3, and Z = 4. The crystal structure of virgilluethite, which is topologically identical to that of tungstite (WO3·H2O), is characterized by highly distorted and elongated MoO5(H2O) octahedra that share four corners in the equatorial plane with one another to form sheets parallel to (010). These sheets, analogous to those in sidwillite, are held together by H-bonding between the H2O molecule and the O atom in the axial position in the adjacent sheets. Virgilluethite and raydemarkite are dimorphs of MoO3·H2O. Unlike virgilluethite, the MoO6 octahedra in raydemarkite share edges to form isolated double chains, resembling those found in zhenruite, (MoO3)2·H2O.

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Virgilluethite

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LocalityMineral(s)
Summit group (Poe Mines), Cookes Peak Mining District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA Baryte, Fluorite, Ilsemannite, Jordisite, Powellite, Pyrite, Quartz, Raydemarkite, Sidwillite, Tianhuixinite, Virgilluethite


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