Crystal-chemical examination of natural diopsides: some geometrical indications of Si-Ti tetrahedral substitution

The crystal structures of 20 natural diopsides have been refined. For some samples, microprobe analyses show a Si deficiency in the tetrahedron with no A1 present; this suggests that some Ti4+ may enter the tetrahedral site. Geometrical variations in these samples with respect to the others are discussed in the light of this Si Ti4+ substitution. The volumes of their M1 sites are larger because of the absence of R3+ cations, the octahedron being very regular; in the same way, the volumes of M2 sites of these samples are greater not because of different site occupancies but because of significant charge modifications around the O3 and O1 oxygens, caused by the tetrahedral site. The low distortion of M1 site and the lengthening of (M2-O1) and M2-O3 bond lengths are a clue to the presence of small amounts of Ti at the tetrahedral site.