A new structural model for ferrihydrite that challenges the standard ferrihydrite model established by X-ray diffraction and confirmed by neutron diffraction and single-crystal electron nanodiffraction was recently proposed by Michel et al. (2007a) from the simulation of the pair distribution function obtained by Fourier transformation of diffraction data measured at λ = 0.137 Å. The new ferrihydrite model is isostructural to akdalaite (Al10O14(OH)2), a mineral having the Baker-Figgis δ-isomer of the Al13-Keggin structure as its structural motif. The new model is unrealistic because: (1) it is completely periodic (i.e. defect-free); (2), it has 20% tetravalent octahedral iron (VIFe4+), 20% divalent tetrahedral iron (IVFe2+), and some IVFe–O distances equal to or larger than the VIFe3+–O distances, thus violating Pauling's 2nd rule; (3) it does not describe X-ray diffraction and EXAFS spectroscopic data; and, (4) it is inconsistent with electron microscopy results and contradicts previous X-ray scattering studies.

EXAFS spectroscopy has been used to monitor changes in divalent cation site geometries across the P2/c-P1̄ phase transition in the sanmartinite (ZnWO4)-cuproscheelite (CuWO4) solid solution at ambient and liquid nitrogen temperatures. In the ZnWO4 end member, Zn occupies axially-compressed ZnO6 octahedra with two axial Zn-O bonds at approximately 1.95 Å and four square planar Zn-O bonds at approximately 2.11 Å. The substitution of Zn by Cu generates a second Zn environment with four short square planar Zn-O bonds and two longer axial Zn-O bonds. The proportion of the latter site increases progressively as the Cu content increases. Cu EXAFS reveals that the CuO6 octahedra maintain their Jahn-Teller axially-elongate geometry throughout the majority of the solid solution and only occur as axially-compressed octahedra well within the stability field of the Zn-rich phase with monoclinic long-range order.