Adolfpateraite, K(UO2)(SO4)(OH)(H2O), a new uranyl sulphate mineral from Jáchymov, Czech Republic.

Adolfpateraite, monoclinic K(UO₂)(SO₄)(OH)(H₂O), is a new supergene mineral from the Svornost mine, Jáchymov ore district, Czech Republic. It forms sulfur yellow to greenish yellow crystalline aggregates, up to 2 mm in diameter. Crystals are transparent to translucent with a vitreous luster, without observable cleavage. The streak is pale yellow. The Mohs hardness is ~2. The mineral shows a green fluorescence in long-wave ultraviolet radiation. Adolfpateraite is pleochroic, with a = colorless and γ = yellow (β could not been examined). It is biaxial, with α = 1.597(2), γ = 1.659(2) (β could not been measured), birefringence 0.062. The empirical chemical formula (mean of 4 electron microprobe point analyses) was calculated based on 8 O apfu and is K_0.94(UO₂)_1.00 (SO₄)_1.02(OH)_0.90 (H₂O)_1.00 (water content calculated). The simplified formula is K(UO₂)(SO₄)(OH)(H₂O), requiring K₂O 10.70, UO₃ 64.97, SO₃ 18.19, H₂O 6.14, total 100.00 wt%. Adolfpateraite is monoclinic, space group P2₁/c, a = 8.0462(1), b = 7.9256(1), c = 11.3206(2) Å, β = 107.726(2)°, V = 687.65(2) ų, Z = 4, and D_calc = 4.24 g/cm³. The five strongest reflections in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern are [d_obs in Å (I) (hkl)]: 7.658 (76) (100), 5.386 (1̅00) (002), 5.218 (85) (102), 3.718 (46) (021), 3.700 (37) (2̅02). The crystal structure has been refined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data to R₁ = 0.0166 with GOF = 1.30, based on 1915 observed reflections [I_obs > 3σ(I)]. The crystal structure consists of chains of uranyl polyhedra extended along [010], with OH- located on the shared vertex between the bipyramids. The sulfate tetrahedra decorate the outer side of the chain with bridging bidentate linkages between the uranyl pentagonal bipyramids. H₂O groups are located on the edges of the chains on the non-linking vertex of each uranyl pentagonal bipyramid. K+ atoms are located between the chains providing additional linkage of these together with H-bonds. The fundamental vibrational modes of uranyl ion, sulfate tetrahedra, and H₂O groups were tentatively assigned in the infrared and Raman spectra. The new mineral is named to honor Adolf Patera (1819-1894), Czech chemist, mineralogist, and metallurgist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]