Chanabayaite

chanabayaite

joanneumite

nitratine

salammoniac

Images

Formula: Cu₂Cl(N₃C₂H₂)₂(NH₃ ,Cl,H₂O,☐)₄
Valence: Cu²⁺₂Cl(N₃C₂H₂)^1-₂(N^3-H₃ ,Cl,H₂O,☐)₄
Organic compound, amongst the first known minerals with the triazolate anion (C₂H₂N₃)^1-. The ammine complex is metal in complex with NH₃. As of September 2023 there were five known ammine complex bearing minerals, chanabayaite, shilovite, joanneumite, ammineite and triazolite (Mindat).
Crystal system: Orthorhombic
Specific gravity: 1.48 measured, 1.464 calculated
Hardness: 2
Streak: Blue
Colour: Blue
Environments

Guano deposits

Chanabayaite was approved in 2013 and to date (March 2026) it has been reported only from the type locality.

Localities

At the type locality, Pabellón de Pica, Chanabaya, Iquique, Iquique Province, Tarapacá, Chile, chanabayaite occurs as blue translucent imperfect prismatic crystals up to 0.05 x 0.1 x 0.5 mm³ in size and their radial aggregates, in a guano deposit, associated with salammoniac, halite, joanneumite and nitratine (HOM, Mindat).
Chanabayaite from Pabellón de Pica - Image

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