Hyalotekite

Hyalotekite is a complex cyclosilicate consisting of 4-member tetrahedral rings plus two pairs of tetrahedra linking pairs of them together. Each set of paired 4-member rings is then linked to others below, above, and to the side by boron, with lead, barium, calcium, and fluorine in larger interstitial positions to balance charges.

Highlighting Features

Silicon (Si) atoms

One linked portion of the backbone consisting of 2 4-member rings plus a pair of tetrahedra linking them together.

Single unit cell

Fluorine (F) atoms

Barium (Ba) atoms

Calcium (Ca) atoms

Lead (Pb) atoms

Boron (B) atoms

All atoms

Distribution

Importance in Soil Environments

Hyalotekite is not an important mineral in soils, but its unique structure shows some of the variety of ways in which tetrahedral silica can polymerize to form complex structures.

Moore, P.B., T. Araki, and S. Ghose. 1982. Hyalotekite, a complex lead borosilicate: Its crystal structure and the lone-pair effect of Pb(II). American Mineralogist 67:1012-1020