Meediumile

Meediumile is a fictional mineral introduced in speculative geology and materials-science thought experiments. It is not known to occur in nature and there is no verified laboratory synthesis. The term is used to illustrate concepts related to layered, sheet-like solids and their physical properties.

In the standard fictional model, meediumile comprises alternating sheets of a silicate-like framework with hypothetical octahedrally coordinated cations. The sheets are held together by relatively weak interlayer bonds, producing anisotropic mechanical and thermal properties. Reported characterizations in the literature describe a hexagonal or tetragonal crystal system with a moderate to high Mohs hardness in the fictional range and a brittle fracture behavior.

Properties attributed to meediumile in thought experiments include semi-conductive electrical behavior along the interlayer direction, moderate thermal stability, and potential catalytic activity given suitable dopants. Because it is not real, reported properties vary by author and are used to demonstrate how changes in bonding and structure affect macroscopic behavior.

Etymology: the name meediumile is constructed to evoke a mid-range composition between metals and minerals and follows common mineral-naming conventions with the suffix -ile implying a solid material.

See also: graphene, mica, clays, layered materials, silicates.