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Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Atom Probe Tomography Analysis of Exsolved Mineral Phases

Atom Probe Tomography Analysis of Exsolved Mineral Phases

Published on: October 25, 2019

Trivalent titanium in high-titanium lunar ilmenite.

Advik D Vira¹, Katherine D Burgess², Emily C First³

¹School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA. avira@gatech.edu.

Nature Communications

|March 28, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Trivalent titanium (Ti3+) was discovered in lunar ilmenite, confirming its presence in the Moon's reducing environment. This finding suggests ilmenite can act as an oxybarometer for planetary redox conditions.

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Area of Science:

* Planetary Science
* Mineralogy
* Geochemistry

Background:

* Lunar mare basalts are rich in titanium, primarily within the mineral ilmenite (Fe2+Ti4+O3).
* The Moon's formation environment is characterized by reducing conditions.
* The presence of trivalent titanium (Ti3+) in lunar ilmenite has been hypothesized but not directly confirmed.

Purpose of the Study:

* To investigate the titanium content and valence state in a ~3.8 billion-year-old lunar mare basalt (Apollo rock 75035).
* To confirm the presence and quantify the amount of trivalent titanium (Ti3+) in lunar ilmenite.
* To explore the implications of Ti3+ in ilmenite for understanding lunar redox conditions.

Main Methods:

* High-resolution electron microscopy.
* Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and energy loss near-edge spectroscopy (ELNES).
* Literature data review and extrapolation of known relationships.

Main Results:

* Ilmenite in Apollo rock 75035 is enriched in titanium beyond the conventional solid solution series.
* Energy loss near-edge spectroscopy confirmed the presence of trivalent titanium (Ti3+), accounting for 13% of the total titanium content.
* Literature review suggests Ti3+ may be present in ilmenite across various lunar samples.

Conclusions:

* The discovery confirms the presence of trivalent titanium (Ti3+) in lunar ilmenite, supporting hypotheses about the Moon's reducing environment.
* The study estimates the oxygen fugacity during the crystallization of Apollo rock 75035 to be below the iron-wüstite buffer (ΔIW ≤ -1.6).
* Quantifying the relationship between Ti valence state and oxygen fugacity could enable Ti3+-bearing ilmenite to function as an oxybarometer for planetary bodies.