Daliranite, PbHgAs2S5: determination of the incommensurately modulated structure and revision of the chemical formula

The incommensurately modulated crystal structure of the mineral daliranite has been determined using 3D electron diffraction data obtained on nanocrystalline domains. Daliranite is orthorhombic with a = 21, b = 4.3, c = 9.5 Å and shows modulation satellites along c. The solution of the average structure in the Pnma space group together with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy data obtained on the same domains indicate a chemical formula of PbHgAsS, which has one S fewer than previously reported. The crystal structure of daliranite is built from columns of face-sharing PbS bicapped trigonal prisms laterally connected by Hg polyhedra and (AsS) groups. The excellent quality of the electron diffraction data allows a structural model to be built for the modulated structure in superspace, which shows that the modulation is due to an alternated occupancy of a split As site.