Directly Imaging Interstitial Oxygen in Silicate Apatite

Oxygen interstitial defects in silicate apatite have been imaged directly using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The accommodation of interstitial oxygen anions in the host lattice network gives rise to larger defective areas than a single oxygen atom, which enables imaging of the extended defect. A new model is proposed to account for excess oxygen and its solubility in apatite that is consistent with neutron diffraction data. Detailed facts of importance to specialist readers are published as ”Supporting Information”. Such documents are peer-reviewed, but not copy-edited or typeset. They are made available as submitted by the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.