T15-S1. Structural principles for minerals and related compounds: theory and experiment

Fernando Camara (fernando.camara@unimi.it)
Sergey Krivovichev (skrivovi@mail.ru)

Keynote Speaker: Krzysztof Woźniak (University of Warsaw): Quantitative experimental charge density studies of minerals

The  crystal  structure of minerals can be described as a juxtaposition of chemically bonded coordination polyhedra. This structural principle, known  since  the  dawn  of  structural science, has been extended and generalized  to  include  anion-centred polyhedra and larger building blocks, including rods and layers. The structure-building principles allow fine tuning of both structure and chemical composition and represents  one  of the most outstanding mechanisms by which Nature produces a wide range of minerals from a relatively limited number of building blocks. The understanding of the features and complexity of these minerals represents a challenge both for the experimental mineralogist and for the theoretician and opens a huge horizon for crystal engineering. The  purpose  of  this session is to provide a forum for theoreticians and  experimentalists, where the current state of  knowledge of structure-building principles  is reviewed and the challenges for future research are put forward.