dioksoisina

Dioksoisina is a naturally occurring silicate mineral that was first identified by geologists in the Karapara Basin of northern Madagascar in 2020. The name derives from the Latin words *di* (two), *oxis* (oxygen), and *isina*, a reference to the mineral's unique two-stacked oxygen groups within its crystal lattice. The mineral crystallizes in the orthorhombic system and typically appears as colorless, pale yellow, or light green crystals, although it can exhibit a range of hues when impurities are present.

Physical and chemical characteristics of dioksoisina include a Mohs hardness of 5.5, a specific gravity of approximately 2.7 g/cm³, and a distinctive optical property known as doublet refractivity, which causes its cleavage planes to split light into two distinct beams. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the mineral contains silicon, oxygen, and trace amounts of aluminium and sodium. Its crystal structure incorporates double O–Si–O chains, which are relatively rare among silicate minerals.

Dioksoisina has been studied for potential applications in optics and electronics due to its low birefringence and transparency in the visible and near-infrared spectrum. Preliminary laboratory tests have shown that thin films of dioksoisina can act as effective anti-reflective coatings on glass substrates. However, the mineral is still largely of academic interest; commercial exploitation has not yet been pursued extensively.

Occurrences of dioksoisina have been reported in the Karapara Basin and a few secondary outcrops in the Eastern Anatolian region of Turkey. The mineral is considered rare due to the specific geological conditions required for its formation, which involve low-temperature hydrothermal activity in doleritic host rocks. Further research is ongoing to determine the full range of its physical properties and potential industrial applications.

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