The crystal structures of three minerals (arsenosulvanite, V,As-germanite, and colusite) of the general crystal chemical formula
Cu2 - xM V2M Cu26 - yCu_{2 - x}^M V_2^M Cu_{26 - y}
(As, Ge, Sn, Sb, V)
6S
32, where Cu
M, V
M are cations at interstitial positions, 0.2
P[`4]3nP\bar 43n
,
a = 10.527; 10.600; 10.653
T¢T'
S
4]Cu
6 (
T¢T'
= V, Cu) complexes not directly interacting with each other and lying inside the Laves polyhedra. In the structures of arsenosulvanite and V,As-germanite, a sulvanite framework consisting of interpenetrating Laves polyhedra
T¢T'
T
3S
4 (
T¢T'
= V, Cu; T = Cu, As, Ge) has been found. The sulvanite framework is statistically distributed over the sphalerite matrix. The variable composition of the minerals is due to heterovalent isomorphism in the sphalerite position 6
c. Charge disbalance arising from substitution of the pentavalent arsenic cations by cations of lower valence is compensated by the appearance of additional Cu
2+ cations. The nonstoichiometry of the compositions is explained by the presence of vacancies in the interstitial and sphalerite positions.