Herbertsmithite (Cu$_{3}$Zn(OH)$_{6}$Cl$_{2}$) Structure: A2B3C6D6E_hR18_166_c_d_h_h_a-001
| Prototype | Cl$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$H$_{6}$O$_{6}$Zn |
| AFLOW prototype label | A2B3C6D6E_hR18_166_c_d_h_h_a-001 |
| Mineral name | herbertsmithite |
| ICSD | 425834 |
| CCDC | 1736040 |
| Pearson symbol | hR18 |
| Space group number | 166 |
| Space group symbol | $R\overline{3}m$ |
| AFLOW prototype command |
aflow --proto=A2B3C6D6E_hR18_166_c_d_h_h_a-001
--params=$a, \allowbreak c/a, \allowbreak x_{2}, \allowbreak x_{4}, \allowbreak z_{4}, \allowbreak x_{5}, \allowbreak z_{5}$ |
Other compounds with this structure
Cu$_{3}$Ni(OH)$_{6}$Cl$_{2}$ (gillardite), Cu$_{3}$Mg$_{x}$(OH)$_{6}$Cl$_{2}$, Cu$_{3}$M(OH)$_{6}$Cl$_{2}$ (leverettite), Mg$_{3}$Mn$_{x}$(OH)$_{6}$Cl$_{2}$
- We take the atomic coordinates from the ICSD entry, shifted by c/2 in the z-direction to move the zinc atom from the (1b) to the (1a) site.
- The (3d) site may be only partially occupied.
- The (1a) site in leverettite (ICSD 5329) is an alloy of cobalt, copper, magnesium, manganese and nickel.
- Cu$_{3}$Zn(OH)$_{6}$Cl$_{2}$ can also be found as kapellasite.
\[ \begin{array}{ccc}
\mathbf{a_{1}}&=&\frac{1}{2}a \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}- \frac{\sqrt{3}}{6}a \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+\frac{1}{3}c \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}\\\mathbf{a_{2}}&=&\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}a \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+\frac{1}{3}c \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}\\\mathbf{a_{3}}&=&- \frac{1}{2}a \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}- \frac{\sqrt{3}}{6}a \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+\frac{1}{3}c \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}
\end{array}\]
Basis vectors
| Lattice coordinates | Cartesian coordinates | Wyckoff position | Atom type | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $\mathbf{B_{1}}$ | = | $0$ | = | $0$ | (1a) | Zn I |
| $\mathbf{B_{2}}$ | = | $x_{2} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}+x_{2} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+x_{2} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ | = | $c x_{2} \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ | (2c) | Cl I |
| $\mathbf{B_{3}}$ | = | $- x_{2} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}- x_{2} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}- x_{2} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ | = | $- c x_{2} \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ | (2c) | Cl I |
| $\mathbf{B_{4}}$ | = | $\frac{1}{2} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}$ | = | $\frac{1}{4}a \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}- \frac{\sqrt{3}}{12}a \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+\frac{1}{6}c \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ | (3d) | Cu I |
| $\mathbf{B_{5}}$ | = | $\frac{1}{2} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}$ | = | $\frac{\sqrt{3}}{6}a \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+\frac{1}{6}c \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ | (3d) | Cu I |
| $\mathbf{B_{6}}$ | = | $\frac{1}{2} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ | = | $- \frac{1}{4}a \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}- \frac{\sqrt{3}}{12}a \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+\frac{1}{6}c \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ | (3d) | Cu I |
| $\mathbf{B_{7}}$ | = | $x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}+x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+z_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ | = | $\frac{1}{2}a \left(x_{4} - z_{4}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}+\frac{\sqrt{3}}{6}a \left(x_{4} - z_{4}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+\frac{1}{3}c \left(2 x_{4} + z_{4}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ | (6h) | H I |
| $\mathbf{B_{8}}$ | = | $z_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}+x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ | = | $- \frac{1}{2}a \left(x_{4} - z_{4}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}+\frac{\sqrt{3}}{6}a \left(x_{4} - z_{4}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+\frac{1}{3}c \left(2 x_{4} + z_{4}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ | (6h) | H I |
| $\mathbf{B_{9}}$ | = | $x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}+z_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ | = | $- \frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}a \left(x_{4} - z_{4}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+\frac{1}{3}c \left(2 x_{4} + z_{4}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ | (6h) | H I |
| $\mathbf{B_{10}}$ | = | $- z_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}- x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}- x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ | = | $\frac{1}{2}a \left(x_{4} - z_{4}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}- \frac{\sqrt{3}}{6}a \left(x_{4} - z_{4}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}- \frac{1}{3}c \left(2 x_{4} + z_{4}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ | (6h) | H I |
| $\mathbf{B_{11}}$ | = | $- x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}- x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}- z_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ | = | $- \frac{1}{2}a \left(x_{4} - z_{4}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}- \frac{\sqrt{3}}{6}a \left(x_{4} - z_{4}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}- \frac{1}{3}c \left(2 x_{4} + z_{4}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ | (6h) | H I |
| $\mathbf{B_{12}}$ | = | $- x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}- z_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}- x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ | = | $\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}a \left(x_{4} - z_{4}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}- \frac{1}{3}c \left(2 x_{4} + z_{4}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ | (6h) | H I |
| $\mathbf{B_{13}}$ | = | $x_{5} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}+x_{5} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+z_{5} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ | = | $\frac{1}{2}a \left(x_{5} - z_{5}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}+\frac{\sqrt{3}}{6}a \left(x_{5} - z_{5}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+\frac{1}{3}c \left(2 x_{5} + z_{5}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ | (6h) | O I |
| $\mathbf{B_{14}}$ | = | $z_{5} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}+x_{5} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+x_{5} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ | = | $- \frac{1}{2}a \left(x_{5} - z_{5}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}+\frac{\sqrt{3}}{6}a \left(x_{5} - z_{5}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+\frac{1}{3}c \left(2 x_{5} + z_{5}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ | (6h) | O I |
| $\mathbf{B_{15}}$ | = | $x_{5} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}+z_{5} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+x_{5} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ | = | $- \frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}a \left(x_{5} - z_{5}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+\frac{1}{3}c \left(2 x_{5} + z_{5}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ | (6h) | O I |
| $\mathbf{B_{16}}$ | = | $- z_{5} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}- x_{5} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}- x_{5} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ | = | $\frac{1}{2}a \left(x_{5} - z_{5}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}- \frac{\sqrt{3}}{6}a \left(x_{5} - z_{5}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}- \frac{1}{3}c \left(2 x_{5} + z_{5}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ | (6h) | O I |
| $\mathbf{B_{17}}$ | = | $- x_{5} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}- x_{5} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}- z_{5} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ | = | $- \frac{1}{2}a \left(x_{5} - z_{5}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}- \frac{\sqrt{3}}{6}a \left(x_{5} - z_{5}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}- \frac{1}{3}c \left(2 x_{5} + z_{5}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ | (6h) | O I |
| $\mathbf{B_{18}}$ | = | $- x_{5} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}- z_{5} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}- x_{5} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ | = | $\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}a \left(x_{5} - z_{5}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}- \frac{1}{3}c \left(2 x_{5} + z_{5}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ | (6h) | O I |
References
- R. S. W. Braithwaite, K. Mereiter, W. H. Paar, and A. M. Clark, Herbertsmithite, Cu$_{3}$Zn(OH)$_{6}$Cl$_{2}$, a new species, and the definition of paratacamite, Mineral. Magazine 68, 527–539 (2004), doi:10.1180/0026461046830204.
Found in
- R. T. Downs and M. Hall-Wallace, The American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database, Am. Mineral. 88, 247–250 (2003).
First cited in
- N. Anderson, M. J. Mehl, H. Eckert, S. Divilov, X. Campilongo, S. Curtarolo, The AFLOW Library of Crystallographic Prototypes: Part 5. Submitted to Computational Materials Science (2026).
Geometry files
Prototype Generator
aflow --proto=A2B3C6D6E_hR18_166_c_d_h_h_a --params=$a,c/a,x_{2},x_{4},z_{4},x_{5},z_{5}$