Raman spectroscopy of natural oxalates

Evidence for the existence of primitive life forms such as lichens and fungi can be based upon the formation of oxalates which are most readily detected using Raman spectroscopy. A comparative study of a suite of natural oxalates including weddellite, whewellite, moolooite, humboldtine, glushinskite, natroxalate and oxammite has been undertaken using Raman spectroscopy. The minerals are characterised by the wavenumber of the CO stretching vibration which is cation sensitive. The band is observed at 1468 cm^-1 for weddellite, 1489 cm^-1 for moolooite, 1471 cm^-1 for glushinskite and 1456 cm^-1 for natroxalate. Except for oxammite, the infrared and Raman spectra are mutually exclusive indicating that the minerals are bidentate. Differences are also observed in the wavenumber of the water OH stretching bands of the minerals. The significance of this work rests with the ability of Raman spectroscopy to identify oxalates which often occur as films on host rocks.