7/11/2017 Abelsonite: Abelsonite mineral information and data.

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Abelsonite
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Abelsonite
Green River formation, Uintah Co., Utah, USA

Abelsonite
Green River formation, Uintah Co., Utah, USA

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7/11/2017 Abelsonite: Abelsonite mineral information and data.
Abelsonite
Green River formation, Uintah Co., Utah, USA

Formula: Ni(C 31 H 32 N 4 )

System: Triclinic Colour: Pink-purple, dark ...

Lustre: Adamantine, Sub-Metallic Hardness: 2-3

Name: For US physicist Philip Hauge Abelson (1913-2004). He was co-discoverer of element 93
(neptunium), editor of the periodical Science (1962-1984), and director of the Carnegie Institution
of Washington's Geophysical Laboratory (1953-1971).

Philip Hauge Abelson

Chemically a nickel porphyrine derivative, classified as deoxophylloerythroetioporphyrin. Unique combination of elements; the only organonickel
mineral known. Formed at depth (Milton et al., 1978), likely from a chlorophyll (but likely not the chlorophyll-d) (Storm et al., 1984).

Abelsonite is accompanied by its structural norisomer; the surrounding shale contains other Ni porphyrins, which represent a series of more
extended homologues.

Structure details (Storm et al., 1984): (1) methyl groups in the 2, 3, 7, 12, and 18 positions, (2) ethyl group in the 8 and 17 positions. According to
Milton et al.(1978) the molecules in abelsonite are not planar. The substitution pattern in the mineral is genetically related to a typical chlorophyll.
The potential precursor to abelsonite is 17-desethyl, 17-propionic acid.

Worth of notice is an unnamed mineral coded as 'UM1984-14-CH:ClNOV', which is a natural vanadyl deoxophylloerythroetioporphyrin, the second
known metalloporphyrin mineral, although not isostructural with abelsonite.

Classification of Abelsonite
IMA status: Approved

Approval Year: 1975

Strunz 8th ed.: 9/A.02-60

Strunz 9th ed.: 10.C0.A.20

Nickel-Strunz 10.CA.20
10th (pending)
ed.: 10 : ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
C : Miscellaneous Organic Minerals
A : Miscellaneous Organic Minerals

Dana 7th ed.: 50.4.9.1

Dana 8th ed.: 50.4.9.1

50 : ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
4 : Miscellaneous

Hey's CIM Ref.: 32.15

32 :

Physical Properties of Abelsonite

Lustre: Adamantine, Sub-Metallic

Colour: Pink-purple, dark greyish purple, pale purplish red, reddish brown.

Comment: Semitransparent

Streak: pink

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7/11/2017 Abelsonite: Abelsonite mineral information and data.

Hardness 2-3
(Mohs):
Cleavage: Poor/Indistinct
Probable on {111}.

Density: 1.33 - 1.48 g/cm3 (Measured) 1.45 g/cm3 (Calculated)

Optical Data of Abelsonite

Type: Biaxial

Chemical Properties of Abelsonite

Formula: Ni(C 31 H 32 N 4 )

IMA Formula: NiC 31 H 32 N 4

Elements listed C, H, N, Ni - search for minerals with similar chemistry

in formula:
Analytical Data: data from the RRUFF project, by electron microprobe, wt.%, mean (C, H and N estimated from stoichiometry)

Ni 9.67
Fe 0.58
Cr 0.15

Crystallography of Abelsonite
Crystal System: Triclinic

Class (H-M): 1 - Pinacoidal

Space Group: P1
Cell Parameters: a = 8.4416(5) , b = 10.8919(70) , c = 7.2749(40)
= 90.465(2), = 113.158(2), = 78.080(2)

Ratio: a:b:c = 0.775 : 1 : 0.668

Unit Cell V 599.74 (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Volume:
Z: 1

Comment: Data at 100 K (Hummer et al., 2017).

Occurrences of Abelsonite
Type Occurrence of Abelsonite
Type Locality: WOSCO Well, Green River formation, Uintah Co., Utah, USA

General Aggregates of platy crystals; as patches, sometimes over 2 mm in diameter

Appearance of
Type Material:
Place of Smithsonian
Conservation of
Type Material:
Geological Mahogany Zone oil shale; found in six stratigraphical zones ( M9, M7, M2, L6, L0, and K1); its genesis is connected with unique geochemical
Setting of Type conditions of Lake Uinta; likely formed due to chlorophyll diagenesis; abelsonite's relatively insoluble precursor was likely transported by an
Material: aqueous solution towards sediments of favorable lithology

Empirical (Ni0.92Fe2+0.05Cr0.02)C31H32N4
Formula:

Relationship of Abelsonite to other Species

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7/11/2017 Abelsonite: Abelsonite mineral information and data.

Common Albite Dolomite Orthoclase Quartz

Associates: Analcime Mica Group Pyrite

Related Minerals 10.CA. Tholins (C,H,N)

- Nickel-Strunz
Grouping): 10.CA.05 Refikite C 20 H 32 O 2

10.CA.10 Flagstaffite C 10 H 22 O 3

10.CA.15 Hoelite C 14 H 8 O 2

10.CA.25 Kladnoite C 6 H 4 (CO) 2 NH

10.CA.30 Guanine C5H5N5O

Tinnunculite (of C 10 H 12 N 8 O 8
10.CA.30 Chesnokov &
Shcherbakova)

10.CA.35 Urea CO(NH 2 ) 2

10.CA.40 Uricite C5H4N4O3

Related Minerals 32.1 Evenkite C 21 H 44

- Hey's Index
Grouping: 32.2 Fichtelite C 19 H 34

32.3 Simonellite C 19 H 24

32.4 Kratochvlite C 13 H 10

32.5 Idrialite C 22 H 14

32.6 Carpathite C 24 H 12

32.7 Refikite C 20 H 32 O 2

32.8 Flagstaffite C 10 H 22 O 3

32.9 Hoelite C 14 H 8 O 2

32.10 Kladnoite C 6 H 4 (CO) 2 NH

32.11 Acetamide CH 3 CONH 2

32.12 Guanine C5H5N5O

32.13 Urea CO(NH 2 ) 2

32.14 Uricite C5H4N4O3

Other Names for Abelsonite

Synonyms: IMA1975-013

Name in Other Czech: Abelsonit

Languages:
Dutch: Abelsoniet

French: Abelsonite

German: Abelsonit

Italian: Abelsonite

Latvian: belsonts

Portuguese: Abelsonita

Spanish: Abelsonita

Other Information
IR Spectrum: bands [cm-1]: 2970, 2915, 2860 (C-H stretching); 620w, 602w, 535w, 512w, 441s, 392w

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7/11/2017 Abelsonite: Abelsonite mineral information and data.

Other UV-Vis bands [nm]: 392, 510, 550 in benzene or 390, 512, and 552 in acetone (suggestible for deoxophylloerythroetioporphyrin with an isocyclic
Information: ring); also 618 band present, suggesting presence of some free-base porphyrin

Health Risks: No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for Abelsonite

Reference List: Milton, C., Dwornik, E.J., Estep-Barnes, P.A., Finkelman, R.B., Pabst, A., Palmer, S. (1978) Abelsonite, nickel porphyrin, a new mineral from the
Green River Formation, Utah. American Mineralogist: 63: 930-937.

Storm, C.B., Krane, J., Skjetne, T., Telnaes, N., Branthaver, J.F., Baker, E.W. (1984) The structure of abelsonite. Science: 223: 1075-1076.

Miller, S.A., Hambley, T.W., Taylor, J.C. (1984): Crystal and molecular structure of a natural vanadyl porphyrin. Australian J. Chem.: 37: 761-766;
in: Dunn, P.J., Fleischer, M., Langley, R.H., Shigley, J.E., Zilczer, J.A. (1988): New mineral names. American Mineralogist: 70: 881

Mason, G.M., Trudell, L.G., Branthaver, J.F. (1989): Review of the stratigraphic distribution and diagenetic history of abelsonite. Organic
Geochemistry: 14: 585-594

Lafuente, B., Downs, R.T., Yang, H., Stone, N. (2015): The power of databases: the RRUFF project. In: Highlights in Mineralogical Crystallography, T.
Armbruster and R. M Danisi, eds. Berlin, Germany, W. De Gruyter: pp 1-30; http://rruff.info/Abelsonite (2016)

Anthony, J.W., Bideaux, R.A., Bladh, K.W. and Nichols, M.C., Eds. Handbook of Mineralogy, Mineralogical Society of America, Chantilly, VA 20151-
1110, USA. http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/ (2016)

Daniel R. Hummer, Bruce C. Noll, Robert M. Hazen, Robert T. Downs (2017): Crystal structure of abelsonite, the only known crystalline
geoporphyrin. American Mineralogist 102, 1129-1132.

Internet Links for Abelsonite

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Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
Handbook of Mineralogy page PDF

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Localities for Abelsonite

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in
the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

(TL) indicates type locality for a valid mineral species. (FRL) indicates first recorded locality for everything else. ? indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality. All other localities listed
without reference should be considered as uncertain and unproven until references can be found.

USA
Colorado
Rio Blanco Co.
Piceance Creek Basin
Piceance Creek Basin Saline Deposits (Piceance Creek Basin
Nahcolite and Dawsonite Deposits) Handbook of Mineralogy
Utah Am Min 63: 9-10 pp 930-937

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7/11/2017 Abelsonite: Abelsonite mineral information and data.
Uintah Co.
Green River formation
ERDA/LERC no. 2 Well
ERDA/LERC no. 3 Well Am Min 63: 9-10 pp 930-937
ERDA/LERC no. 4 Well Am Min 63: 9-10 pp 930-937
ERDA/LERC no. 6 Well Am Min 63: 9-10 pp 930-937
ERDA/LERC no. 7 Well Am Min 63: 9-10 pp 930-937
ERDA/LERC no. 8 Well Am Min 63: 9-10 pp 930-937
ERDA/LERC no. 9 Well Am Min 63: 9-10 pp 930-937
WOSCO Well (TL) Am Min 63: 9-10 pp 930-937
Wyoming
Sweetwater Co.
Green River Formation MILTON, C. (1977): Mineralogy of the Green River Formation. Mineralogical Record 8, 368-379.

Mineral and/or Locality Search

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