Group leader: S.C. Tarantino

This research theme is aimed at understanding the crystal-chemistry and the transformation behaviour as a function of temperature and different physico-chemical conditions of mineral solid solutions, synthetic analogues and technological materials. X-ray and synchrotron-radiation diffraction and in situ and ex situ thermal annealing techniques are used in combination with spectroscopic methods for the determination of the local structure, in particular vibrational (IR and Raman) and absorption (XAS) spectroscopies. Particular interest is devoted to the studies of phase transitions, thermal expansivity, cation ordering and dehydration processes. Specific themes of current interest include:

  • Cronstendite and transformations during asteroidal aqueous alteration.
  • Jumping Crystals: phase transitions and strain associated with the thermosalient effect.
  • Re-building quartz: phase transitions and physical properties of hybrid quartz-type ZIFs.
  • Agnes Elmaleh (UPMC, Paris, France);
  • Michele Zema, Gennaro Ventruti (University of Bari);
  • Athos Callegari (University of Pavia);
  • Michael A. Carpenter (University of Cambridge, U.K.);
  • Marco Scavini (University of Milan);
  • Alberto Zanetti (CNR-IGG);
  • Maurizio Mazzucchelli (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia);
  • Nobuyoshi Miyajima (BGI, Bayreuth, Germany);
  • Ian D. Williams (HKUST, Hong Kong);
  • Željko Skoko, Jasminka Popovic (University of Zagreb, Croatia).

S.C. Tarantino, M. Zema, A.M. Callegari, M. Boiocchi, M.A. Carpenter,
Monoclinic-to-orthorhombic phase transition in Cu2(AsO4)(OH) olivenite at high temperature: strain and mode decomposition analyses,
Mineralogical Magazine, 82, 1-19, 2018.

S.C. Tarantino, M. Giannini, M.A. Carpenter, M. Zema,
Cooperative Jahn-Teller effect and the role of strain in the tetragonal-to-cubic phase transition in MgxCu1-xCr2O4,
IUCrJ, 3, 354-366, 2016.

T. Klaser, J. Popović, J.A. Fernandes, S.C. Tarantino, M. Zema, Ž. Skoko,
Does thermosalient effect have to concur with a polymorphic phase transition? The case of scopolamine bromide,
Crystals, 8, 301 (9 pages), 2018.