STRUCTURE DETERMINATION BY POWDER SYNCHROTRON X-RAY DIFFRACTION

The advantages of synchrotron radiation for high quality powder X-ray diffraction studies are discussed. An area where this has had a major impact is in the use of powders for crystallographic investigations, in particular the solution of crystal structures when a suitable single crystal is not available. The procedures involved are described and illustrated by examples where structures are solved from powder data, with minimal prior knowledge, or where the known molecular structure is exploited. Finally, synchrotron radiation makes it possible to study very small crystals. This can be an alternative approach.