Crystal structure of a new representative of the cancrinite group with a 12-layer stacking sequence of tetrahedral rings

The crystal structure of a 12-layer tounkite-like mineral of the cancrinite group was determined for the first time by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis (the unit-cell parameters are a = 12.757 Å, c = 32.211 Å). The structure was refined in the space group P3 to R = 0.035 using 3834 reflections with | F| > 2σ(F). Si and Al atoms occupy tetrahedral framework positions in an ordered fashion. The average distances in the tetrahedra are 〈Si-O〉 = 1.611 Å and 〈Al-O〉 = 1.723 Å. The stacking sequence of the layers is described as CACACBCBCACB, where A, B, and C are six-membered rings arranged around the [2/3 1/3 z], [1/3 2/3 z], and [0 0 z] axes, respectively. In the structure of the mineral, the columns along the [0 0 z] axis are composed of cancrinite cages. The columns along the [2/3 1/3 z] and [1/3 2/3 z] axes contain alternating cancrinite, bystrite, and liottite cages.