Proton Positions in Brucite Crystals

Abstract

The proton positions in brucite have been determined by comparison of nuclear magnetic resonance spectra with existing x-ray data. The protons are located in parallel planes, in each of which the protons are arranged in a pattern having hexagonal symmetry. The distance between adjacent protons in a given plane is 3.12±0.01 A, while the distance between a given proton and its nearest neighbors in the next plane is 1.93±0.02 A. The distance between adjacent proton planes is 0.69±0.02 A. The internuclear distance in the OH bond is found to be 0.98±0.02 A.