The title compound, C10H11N5O2S2, consists of an unexpected tautomer with a protonated nitro­gen atom in the triazine ring and a formal exocyclic double bond C=N to the sulfonamide moiety. The ring angles at the unsubstituted nitro­gen atoms are narrow, at 115.57 (12) and 115.19 (12)°, respectively, whereas the angle at the carbon atom between these N atoms is very wide, 127.97 (13)°. The inter­planar angle between the two rings is 79.56 (5)°. The mol­ecules are linked by three classical hydrogen bonds, forming a ribbon structure. There are also unusual linkages involving three short contacts (< 3 Å) from a sulfonamide oxygen atom to the C—NH—C part of a triazine ring.

Since its founding in 2013, the Young Crystallographers (YC) have become one of the most active working groups not only within their parent organization, the German Crystallographic Society (DGK), but also among other young crystallographers' groups in Europe and the world. The aim of the YC is and always has been to support early-career researchers in the diverse fields of crystallography and the rejuvenation of the field on a national scale. Over the past decade, we have curated events, platforms, and educational content tailored to foster collaboration and knowledge transfer among young crystallographers. In this article, we introduce our group and show how this active and diverse community has shaped the rejuvenation of crystallography in Germany, strengthened by the support of our national society.

The complex, tri­chlorido­(1,4,11-tri­aza-8-azonia­tetra­cyclo­[6.6.2.04,16.011,15]hexa­decane 1-oxide-κO)zinc(II) monohydrate, [ZnCl3(C12H23N4O)]·H2O, (I), has monoclinic symmetry (space group P21/n) at 120 K. The zinc(II) center adopts a slightly distorted tetra­hedral coordination geometry and is coordinated by three chlorine atoms and the oxygen atom of the oxidized tertiary amine of the tetra­cycle. The amine nitro­gen atom, inside the ligand cleft, is protonated and forms a hydrogen bond to the oxygen of the amine oxide. Additional hydrogen-bonding inter­actions involve the protonated amine, the water solvate oxygen atom, and one of the chloro ligands.

In the title mol­ecule, C21H23N3O3, the imidazolidine ring slightly deviates from planarity and the morpholine ring exhibits the chair conformation. In the crystal, N—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds form helical chains of mol­ecules extending parallel to the c axis that are connected by C—H⋯π(ring) inter­actions. A Hirshfeld surface analysis reveals that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H⋯H (55.2%), H⋯C/C⋯H (22.6%) and H⋯O/O⋯H (20.5%) inter­actions. The volume of the crystal voids and the percentage of free space were calculated to be 236.78 Å3 and 12.71%, respectively. Evaluation of the electrostatic, dispersion and total energy frameworks indicates that the stabilization is dominated by the nearly equal electrostatic and dispersion energy contributions. The DFT-optimized mol­ecular structure at the B3LYP/6-311 G(d,p) level is compared with the experimentally determined mol­ecular structure in the solid state. Moreover, the HOMO–LUMO behaviour was elucidated to determine the energy gap.

The title mol­ecule, C18H26O4, consists of two symmetrical halves related by the inversion centre at the mid-point of the central –C—C– bond. The hexene ring adopts an envelope conformation. In the crystal, the mol­ecules are connected into dimers by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds with R22(8) ring motifs, forming zigzag ribbons along the b-axis direction. According to a Hirshfeld surface analysis, H⋯H (68.2%) and O⋯H/H⋯O (25.9%) inter­actions are the most significant contributors to the crystal packing. The contribution of some disordered solvent to the scattering was removed using the SQUEEZE routine [Spek (2015). Acta Cryst. C71, 9–18] in PLATON. The solvent contribution was not included in the reported mol­ecular weight and density.

Crystal formation of penta­sodium nona­deca­cesium tetra­cosa­tungstate(VI) heneikosahydrate, Na5Cs19[W24O84]·21H2O, was successfully achieved by the conversion of [H2W12O42]10− through the addition of excess Cs+. The crystal structure comprising the toroidal isopolyoxidometalate is presented, as well as its Raman spectrum. Na5Cs19(H2O)21W24O84 crystallizes in the rhombohedral space group Roverline{3} with an obverse centering. The title compound represents the addition of a new member to the isopolytungstate family with mixed alkali counter-ions and contains rarely observed five-coordinate tungsten(VI) atoms in the [W24O84]24− anion (site symmetry C3i) arising from the conversion mediated by Cs+ counter-ions.

This title compound, C20H26O2, was isolated from the benzene fraction of the stem bark of Staudtia kamerunensis Warb. (Myristicaceae) using column chromatography techniques over silica gel. The compound was fully characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, one and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, IR and MS spectrometry. The compound has two fused cyclo­hexane rings attached to a benzene ring, with a carb­oxy­lic acid on C-4. This cyclo­hexene ring has a chair conformation while the other adopts a half-chair conformation. The benzene ring is substituted with a propenyl moiety. The structure is characterized by inter­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, two C—H⋯O intra­molecular hydrogen bonds and two C—H⋯π inter­actions. The mol­ecular structure confirms previous studies carried out by spectroscopic techniques.

Crystal formation of caesium thallium chloride phospho­tungstates, Cs9(TlCl6)(PW12O40)2·9CsCl showcases the ability to capture and crystallize octa­hedral complexes via the use of polyoxometalates (POMs). The large number of caesium chlorides allows for the POM [α-PW12O40]3− to arrange itself in a cubic close-packing lattice extended framework, in which the voids created enable the capture of the [TlCl6]3− complex.

In the title compound, bis­[aqua­(2,2'-bi­pyridine)­fluorido­tin(II)] hexa­fluorido­tin(IV), [SnF(C10H8N2)(H2O)]2[SnF6], an ionic mixed-valent tin(II)–tin(IV) compound, the bivalent tin atom is the center atom of the cation and the tetra­valent tin atom is the center atom of the anion. With respect to the first coordination sphere, the cation is monomeric, with the tin(II) atom having a fourfold seesaw coordination with a fluorine atom in an equatorial position, a water mol­ecule in an axial position and the two nitro­gen atoms of the chelating 2,2'-bi­pyridine ligand in the remaining axial and equatorial positions. The bond lengths and angles of this hypervalent first coordination sphere are described by 2c–2e and 3c–4e bonds, respectively, all of which are based on the orthogonal 5p orbitals of the tin atom. In the second coordination sphere, which is based on an additional, very long tin–fluorine bond that leads to dimerization of the cation, the tin atom is trapezoidal–pyramidally coordinated. The tetra­valent tin atom of the centrosymmetric anion has an octa­hedral coordination. The differences in its tin–fluorine bond lengths are attributed to hydrogen bonding, as the two of the four fluorine atoms are each involved in two hydrogen bonds, linking anions and cations together to form strands.

The mol­ecular structure of the tripodal carbamoyl­methyl­phosphine oxide compound diethyl {[(5-[2-(di­eth­oxy­phosphor­yl)acetamido]-3-{2-[2-(di­eth­oxy­phos­phor­yl)acetamido]­eth­yl}pent­yl)carbamo­yl]meth­yl}phospho­nate, C25H52N3O12P3, features six intra­molecular hydrogen-bonding inter­actions. The phospho­nate groups have key bond lengths ranging from 1.4696 (12) to 1.4729 (12) Å (P=O), 1.5681 (11) to 1.5811 (12) Å (P—O) and 1.7881 (16) to 1.7936 (16) Å (P—C). Each amide group adopts a nearly perfect trans geometry, and the geometry around each phophorus atom resembles a slightly distorted tetra­hedron.

During our studies of the oxidation of gold(I) complexes of tri­alkyl­phosphane chalcogenides, general formula R1R2R3PEAuX, (R = tert-butyl or isopropyl, E = S or Se, X = Cl or Br) with PhICl2 or elemental bromine, we have isolated a set of seven mixed-valence by-products, the bis­(tri­alkyl­phosphane chalcogenido)gold(I) tetra­halogenidoaurates(III) [(R1R2R3PE)2Au]+[AuX4]−. These corres­pond to the addition of one halogen atom per gold atom of the AuI precursor. Com­pound 1, bis­(triiso­propyl­phosphane sulfide)­gold(I) tetra­chlorido­aur­ate(III), [Au(C9H21PS)2][AuCl4] or [(iPr3PS)2Au][AuCl4], crystallizes in space group P21/n with Z = 4; the gold(I) atoms of the two cations lie on twofold rotation axes, and the gold(III) atoms of the two anions lie on inversion centres. Compound 2, bis­(tert-butyl­diiso­propyl­phosphane sulfide)­gold(I) tetra­chlorido­aurate(III), [Au(C10H23PS)2][AuCl4] or [(tBuiPr2PS)2Au][AuCl4], crystallizes in space group P1 with Z = 4; the asymmetric unit contains two cations and two anions with no imposed symmetry. A least-squares fit of the two cations gave an r.m.s. deviation of 0.19 Å. Compound 3, bis­(tri-tert-butyl­phosphane sulfide)­gold(I) tetra­chlorido­aurate(III), [Au(C12H27PS)2][AuCl4] or [(tBu3PS)2Au][AuCl4], crystallizes in space group P1 with Z = 1; both gold atoms lie on inversion centres. Compound 4a, bis­(tert-butyl­diiso­propyl­phosphane sulfide)­gold(I) tetra­bromi­doaurate(III), [Au(C10H23PS)2][AuBr4] or [(tBuiPr2PS)2Au][AuBr4], crystallizes in space group P21/c with Z = 4; the cation lies on a general position, whereas the gold(III) atoms of the two anions lie on inversion centres. Compound 4b, bis­(tert-butyl­diiso­propyl­phosphane selenide)gold(I) tetra­bromido­aurate(III), [Au(C10H23PSe)2][AuBr4] or [(tBuiPr2PSe)2Au][AuBr4], is isotypic with 4a. Compound 5a, bis­(tri-tert-butyl­phosphane sulfide)­gold(I) tetra­bromido­aurate(III), [Au(C12H27PS)2][AuBr4] or [(tBu3PS)2Au][AuBr4], is isotypic with compound 4a. Compound 5a, bis­(tri-tert-butyl­phosphane sulfide)­gold(I) tetra­bromido­aurate(III), [Au(C12H27PS)2][AuBr4] or [(tBu3PS)2Au][AuBr4], crystallizes in space group P1 with Z = 1; both gold atoms lie on inversion centres. Compound 5b, bis­(tri-tert-butyl­phosphane selenide)gold(I) tetra­bromido­aurate(III), [Au(C12H27PSe)2][AuBr4] or [(tBu3PSe)2Au][AuBr4], is isotypic with 5a. All AuI atoms are linearly coordinated and all AuIII atoms exhibit a square-planar coordination environment. The ligands at the AuI atoms are anti­periplanar to each other across the S⋯S vectors. There are several short intra­molecular H⋯Au and H⋯E contacts. Average bond lengths (Å) are: P—S = 2.0322, P—Se = 2.1933, S—Au = 2.2915, and Se—Au = 2.4037. The complex three-dimensional packing of 1 involves two short C—Hmethine⋯Cl contacts (and some slightly longer contacts). For 2, four C—Hmethine⋯Cl inter­actions combine to produce zigzag chains of residues parallel to the c axis. Additionally, an S⋯Cl contact is observed that might qualify as a ‘chalcogen bond’. The packing of 3 is three-dimensional, but can be broken down into two layer structures, each involving an S⋯Cl and an H⋯Cl contact. For the bromido derivatives 4a/b and 5a/b, loose associations of the anions form part of the packing patterns. For all four compounds, these combine with an E⋯Br contact to form layers parallel to the ab plane.

A host–guest supra­molecular inclusion complex was obtained from the co-crystallization of A1/A2-bromo­but­oxy-hy­droxy difunctionalized pillar[5]arene (PilButBrOH) with adipo­nitrile (ADN), C47H53.18Br0.82O10·C6H8N2. The adipo­nitrile guest is stabilized within the electron-rich cavity of the pillar[5]arene host via multiple C—H⋯O and C—H⋯π inter­actions. Both functional groups on the macrocyclic rim are engaged in supra­molecular inter­actions with an adjacent inclusion complex via hydrogen-bonding (O—H⋯N or C—H⋯Br) inter­actions, resulting in the formation of a supra­molecular dimer in the crystal structure.

The mercury(II) halide complex [1,3-di-tert-butyl-2,4-bis­(tert-butyl­amino)-1,3,2λ5,4λ5-di­aza­diphosphetidine-2,4-diselone-κ2Se,Se']di­iodido­mercury(II) N,N-di­methyl­formamide monosolvate, [HgI2(C16H38N4P2Se2)]·C3H7NO or (1)HgI2, 2, containing cis-[(tBuNH)(Se)P(μ-NtBu)2P(Se)(NHtBu)] (1) was synthesized and structurally characterized. The crystal structure of 2 confirms the chelation of chalcogen donors to HgI2 with a natural bite angle of 112.95 (2)°. The coordination geometry around mercury is distorted tetra­hedral as indicated by the τ4 geometry index parameter (τ4 = 0.90). In the mercury complex, the exocyclic tert-butyl­amido substituents are arranged in an (endo, endo) fashion, whereas in the free ligand (1), the exocyclic substituents are arranged in an (exo, endo) pattern. Compound 2 displays non-classical N—H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter­actions with the solvent N,N-di­methyl­formamide. These inter­actions may introduce geometrical distortion and deviation from an ideal geometry. An isostructural HgBr2 analogue containing cis-[(tBuNH)(S)P(μ-NtBu)2P(S)(NHtBu)] was also synthesized and structurally characterized, CIF data for the compound being presented as supporting information.

A slit-less wavelength-dispersive spectrometer design using a single-bounce monocapillary that aligns the sample on the Rowland circle, enhancing photon throughput and maintaining resolution. The compact design supports flexibility and reconfiguration in facilities without complex beamline infrastructure, significantly improving detection efficiency.

Characterization of a material structure with pair distribution function (PDF) analysis typically involves refining a structure model against an experimental data set, but finding or constructing a suitable atomic model for PDF modelling can be an extremely labour-intensive task, requiring carefully browsing through large numbers of possible models. Presented here is POMFinder, a machine learning (ML) classifier that rapidly screens a database of structures, here polyoxometallate (POM) clusters, to identify candidate structures for PDF data modelling. The approach is shown to identify suitable POMs from experimental data, including in situ data collected with fast acquisition times. This automated approach has significant potential for identifying suitable models for structure refinement to extract quantitative structural parameters in materials chemistry research. POMFinder is open source and user friendly, making it accessible to those without prior ML knowledge. It is also demonstrated that POMFinder offers a promising modelling framework for combined modelling of multiple scattering techniques.

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is a promising technique for determining structural information from sensitive biological samples, but high-accuracy X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) requires corrections of systematic errors in experimental data. Low-temperature XAS and room-temperature X-ray absorption spectro-electrochemical (XAS-EC) measurements of N-truncated amyloid-β samples were collected and corrected for systematic effects such as dead time, detector efficiencies, monochromator glitches, self-absorption, radiation damage and noise at higher wavenumber (k). A new protocol was developed using extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) data analysis for monitoring radiation damage in real time and post-analysis. The reliability of the structural determinations and consistency were validated using the XAS measurement experimental uncertainty. The correction of detector pixel efficiencies improved the fitting χ2 by 12%. An improvement of about 2.5% of the structural fitting was obtained after dead-time corrections. Normalization allowed the elimination of 90% of the monochromator glitches. The remaining glitches were manually removed. The dispersion of spectra due to self-absorption was corrected. Standard errors of experimental measurements were propagated from pointwise variance of the spectra after systematic corrections. Calculated uncertainties were used in structural refinements for obtaining precise and reliable values of structural parameters including atomic bond lengths and thermal parameters. This has permitted hypothesis testing.

An implementation of Slater-type spherical scattering factors for X-ray and electron diffraction for elements in the range Z = 1–103 is presented within the software Olex2. Both high- and low-angle Fourier behaviour of atomic electron density and electrostatic potential can thus be addressed, in contrast to the limited flexibility of the four Gaussian plus constant descriptions which are currently the most widely used method for calculating atomic scattering factors during refinement. The implementation presented here accommodates the increasing complexity of the electronic structure of heavier elements by using complete atomic wavefunctions without any interpolation between precalculated tables or intermediate fitting functions. Atomic wavefunctions for singly charged ions are implemented and made accessible, and these show drastic changes in electron diffraction scattering factors compared with the neutral atom. A comparison between the two different spherical models of neutral atoms is presented as an example for four different kinds of X-ray and two electron diffraction structures, and comparisons of refinement results using the existing diffraction data are discussed. A systematic but slight improvement in R values and residual densities can be observed when using the new scattering factors, and this is discussed relative to effects on the atomic displacement parameters and atomic positions, which are prominent near the heavier elements in a structure.

The growing pressure on school curricula has meant crystals and the science of crystallography have been cut from or made optional for many educational programs. This omission is a serious disservice to the history and understanding of modern sciences, given that crystallography underpins many of the greatest advancements in science over the past century, is a critical component of many modern research papers and patents, and has 29 Nobel Prizes awarded in the field. This contribution describes a simple activity to target classroom and public engagement with crystallography, using marshmallows or equivalent sweets/candy to represent atoms and cocktail sticks to represent bonds, together with examples of how crystals are studied and how they are useful. Though it has a simple basis, this activity can be extended in numerous ways to reflect the aims of the demonstrator, and a few of these are described.

X-ray reflectometry (XRR) is a powerful tool for probing the structural characteristics of nanoscale films and layered structures, which is an important field of nanotechnology and is often used in semiconductor and optics manufacturing. This study introduces a novel approach for conducting quantitative high-resolution millisecond monochromatic XRR measurements. This is an order of magnitude faster than in previously published work. Quick XRR (qXRR) enables real time and in situ monitoring of nanoscale processes such as thin film formation during spin coating. A record qXRR acquisition time of 1.4 ms is demonstrated for a static gold thin film on a silicon sample. As a second example of this novel approach, dynamic in situ measurements are performed during PMMA spin coating onto silicon wafers and fast fitting of XRR curves using machine learning is demonstrated. This investigation primarily focuses on the evolution of film structure and surface morphology, resolving for the first time with qXRR the initial film thinning via mass transport and also shedding light on later thinning via solvent evaporation. This innovative millisecond qXRR technique is of significance for in situ studies of thin film deposition. It addresses the challenge of following intrinsically fast processes, such as thin film growth of high deposition rate or spin coating. Beyond thin film growth processes, millisecond XRR has implications for resolving fast structural changes such as photostriction or diffusion processes.

A systematic procedure is introduced for modeling charge-neutral non-polar surfaces of ionic minerals containing polyatomic anions. By integrating distance- and charge-based clustering to identify chemical species within the mineral bulk, our pipeline, PolyCleaver, renders a variety of theoretically viable surface terminations. As a demonstrative example, this approach was applied to forsterite (Mg2SiO4), unveiling a rich interface landscape based on interactions with formaldehyde, a relevant multifaceted molecule, and more particularly in prebiotic chemistry. This high-throughput method, going beyond techniques traditionally applied in the modeling of minerals, offers new insights into the potential catalytic properties of diverse surfaces, enabling a broader exploration of synthetic pathways in complex mineral systems.

Three-dimensional cryo electron microscopy reconstructions are obtained by extracting information from a large number of projections of the object. These projections correspond to different `views' or `orientations', i.e. directions in which these projections show the reconstructed object. Uneven distribution of these views and the presence of dominating preferred orientations may distort the reconstructed spatial images. This work describes the program VUE (views on uniform grids for cryo electron microscopy), designed to study such distributions. Its algorithms, based on uniform virtual grids on a sphere, allow an easy calculation and accurate quantitative analysis of the frequency distribution of the views. The key computational element is the Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection of a spherical uniform grid onto a disc. This projection keeps the surface area constant and represents the frequency distribution with no visual bias. Since it has multiple tunable parameters, the program is easily adaptable to individual needs, and to the features of a particular project or of the figure to be produced. It can help identify problems related to an uneven distribution of views. Optionally, it can modify the list of projections, distributing the views more uniformly. The program can also be used as a teaching tool.

The pair angle distribution function (PADF) is a three- and four-atom correlation function that characterizes the local angular structure of disordered materials, particles or nanocrystalline materials. The PADF can be measured using X-ray or electron fluctuation diffraction data, which can be collected by scanning or flowing a structurally disordered sample through a focused beam. It is a natural generalization of established pair distribution methods, which do not provide angular information. The software package pypadf provides tools to calculate the PADF from fluctuation diffraction data. The package includes tools for calculating the intensity correlation function, which is a necessary step in the PADF calculation and also the basis for other fluctuation scattering analysis techniques.

From the historical roots of metalworking to the forefront of modern nanotechnology, functional materials have played a pivotal role in transforming societies, and their influence is poised to persist into the future. Encompassing a wide array of solid-state materials, spanning semiconductors to polymers, molecular crystals to nanoparticles, functional materials find application in critical sectors such as electronics, computers, information, communication, bio­technology, aerospace, defense, environment, energy, medicine and consumer products. This feature article delves into diverse instances of functional materials, exploring their structures, their properties and the underlying mechanisms that contribute to their outstanding performance across fields like batteries, photovoltaics, magnetics and heterogeneous catalysts. The field of structural sciences serves as the cornerstone for unraveling the intricate relationship between structure, dynamics and function. Acting as a bridge, it connects the fundamental understanding of materials to their practical applications.

X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) is a powerful tool for the investigation of dynamics covering a broad range of timescales and length scales. The two-time correlation function (TTC) is commonly used to track non-equilibrium dynamical evolution in XPCS measurements, with subsequent extraction of one-time correlations. While the theoretical foundation for the quantitative analysis of TTCs is primarily established for equilibrium systems, where key parameters such as the diffusion coefficient remain constant, non-equilibrium systems pose a unique challenge. In such systems, different projections (`cuts') of the TTC may lead to divergent results if the underlying fundamental parameters themselves are subject to temporal variations. This article explores widely used approaches for TTC calculations and common methods for extracting relevant information from correlation functions, particularly in the light of comparing dynamics in equilibrium and non-equilibrium systems.

This article presents a Python-based program, DFT2FEFFIT, to regress theoretical extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra calculated from density functional theory structure models against experimental EXAFS spectra. To showcase its application, Ce-doped fluorapatite [Ca10(PO4)6F2] is revisited as a representative of a material difficult to analyze by conventional multi-shell least-squares fitting of EXAFS spectra. The software is open source and publicly available.

Structural modelling of operando pair distribution function (PDF) data of complex functional materials can be highly challenging. To aid the understanding of complex operando PDF data, this article demonstrates a toolbox for PDF analysis. The tools include denoising using principal component analysis together with the structureMining, similarityMapping and nmfMapping apps available through the online service `PDF in the cloud' (PDFitc, https://pdfitc.org/). The toolbox is used for both ex situ and operando PDF data for 3 nm TiO2-bronze nanocrystals, which function as the active electrode material in a Li-ion battery. The tools enable structural modelling of the ex situ and operando PDF data, revealing two pristine TiO2 phases (bronze and anatase) and two lithiated LixTiO2 phases (lithiated versions of bronze and anatase), and the phase evolution during galvanostatic cycling is characterized.

Coherent diffractive imaging with X-ray free-electron lasers could enable structural studies of macromolecules at room temperature. This type of experiment could provide a means to study structural dynamics on the femtosecond timescale. However, the diffraction from a single protein is weak compared with the incoherent scattering from background sources, which negatively affects the reconstruction analysis. This work evaluates the effects of the presence of background on the analysis pipeline. Background measurements from the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser were combined with simulated diffraction patterns and treated by a standard reconstruction procedure, including orientation recovery with the expand, maximize and compress algorithm and 3D phase retrieval. Background scattering did have an adverse effect on the estimated resolution of the reconstructed density maps. Still, the reconstructions generally worked when the signal-to-background ratio was 0.6 or better, in the momentum transfer shell of the highest reconstructed resolution. The results also suggest that the signal-to-background requirement increases at higher resolution. This study gives an indication of what is possible at current setups at X-ray free-electron lasers with regards to expected background strength and establishes a target for experimental optimization of the background.

This article demonstrates the feasibility of obtaining accurate pair distribution functions of thin amorphous films down to 80 nm, using modern laboratory-based X-ray sources. The pair distribution functions are obtained using a single diffraction scan without the requirement of additional scans of the substrate or of the air. By using a crystalline substrate combined with an oblique scattering geometry, most of the Bragg scattering of the substrate is avoided, rendering the substrate Compton scattering the primary contribution. By utilizing a discriminating energy filter, available in the latest generation of modern detectors, it is demonstrated that the Compton intensity can further be reduced to negligible levels at higher wavevector values. Scattering from the sample holder and the air is minimized by the systematic selection of pixels in the detector image based on the projected detection footprint of the sample and the use of a 3D-printed sample holder. Finally, X-ray optical effects in the absorption factors and the ratios between the Compton intensity of the substrate and film are taken into account by using a theoretical tool that simulates the electric field inside the film and the substrate, which aids in planning both the sample design and the measurement protocol.

X-ray scattering has become a major tool in the structural characterization of nanoscale materials. Thanks to the widely available experimental and computational atomic models, coordinate-based X-ray scattering simulation has played a crucial role in data interpretation in the past two decades. However, simulation of real-space pair distance distribution functions (PDDFs) from small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering, SAXS/WAXS, has been relatively less exploited. This study presents a comparison of PDDF simulation methods, which are applied to molecular structures that range in size from β-cyclo­dextrin [1 kDa molecular weight (MW), 66 non-hydrogen atoms] to the satellite tobacco mosaic virus capsid (1.1 MDa MW, 81 960 non-hydrogen atoms). The results demonstrate the power of interpretation of experimental SAXS/WAXS from the real-space view, particularly by providing a more intuitive method for understanding of partial structure contributions. Furthermore, the computational efficiency of PDDF simulation algorithms makes them attractive as approaches for the analysis of large nanoscale materials and biological assemblies. The simulation methods demonstrated in this article have been implemented in stand-alone software, SolX 3.0, which is available to download from https://12idb.xray.aps.anl.gov/solx.html.

A procedure is presented to exactly obtain the apparent average crystallite size (ACS) of powder samples using standard in-house powder diffraction experiments without any restriction originating from the Scherrer equation. Additionally, the crystallite size distribution within the sample can be evaluated. To achieve this, powder diffractograms are background corrected and long-range radial distribution functions G(r) up to 300 nm are calculated from the diffraction data. The envelope function fenv of G(r) is approximated by a procedure determining the absolute maxima of G(r) in a certain interval (r range). Fitting of an ACS distribution envelope function to this approximation gives the ACS and its distribution. The method is tested on diffractograms of LaB6 standard reference materials measured with different wavelengths to demonstrate the validity of the approach and to clarify the influence of the wavelength used. The latter results in a general description of the maximum observable average crystallite size, which depends on the instrument and wavelength used. The crystallite site distribution is compared with particle size distributions based on transmission electron microscopy investigations, providing an approximation of the average number of crystallites per particle.

Compared with batch and vapor diffusion methods, counter diffusion can generate larger and higher-quality protein crystals yielding improved diffraction data and higher-resolution structures. Typically, counter-diffusion experiments are conducted in elongated chambers, such as glass capillaries, and the crystals are either directly measured in the capillary or extracted and mounted at the X-ray beamline. Despite the advantages of counter-diffusion protein crystallization, there are few fixed-target devices that utilize counter diffusion for crystallization. In this article, different designs of user-friendly counter-diffusion chambers are presented which can be used to grow large protein crystals in a 2D polymer microfluidic fixed-target chip. Methods for rapid chip fabrication using commercially available thin-film materials such as Mylar, propyl­ene and Kapton are also detailed. Rules of thumb are provided to tune the nucleation and crystal growth to meet users' needs while minimizing sample consumption. These designs provide a reliable approach to forming large crystals and maintaining their hydration for weeks and even months. This allows ample time to grow, select and preserve the best crystal batches before X-ray beam time. Importantly, the fixed-target microfluidic chip has a low background scatter and can be directly used at beamlines without any crystal handling, enabling crystal quality to be preserved. The approach is demonstrated with serial diffraction of photoactive yellow protein, yielding 1.32 Å resolution at room temperature. Fabrication of this standard microfluidic chip with commercially available thin films greatly simplifies fabrication and provides enhanced stability under vacuum. These advances will further broaden microfluidic fixed-target utilization by crystallographers.

Understanding the structure–property relationship in electrocatalysts under working conditions is crucial for the rational design of novel and improved catalytic materials. This paper presents the Aarhus University reactor for electrochemical studies using X-rays (AUREX) operando electrocatalytic flow cell, designed as an easy-to-use versatile setup with a minimal background contribution and a uniform flow field to limit concentration polarization and handle gas formation. The cell has been employed to measure operando total scattering, diffraction and absorption spectroscopy as well as simultaneous combinations thereof on a commercial silver electrocatalyst for proof of concept. This combination of operando techniques allows for monitoring of the short-, medium- and long-range structure under working conditions, including an applied potential, liquid electrolyte and local reaction environment. The structural transformations of the Ag electrocatalyst are monitored with non-negative matrix factorization, linear combination analysis, the Pearson correlation coefficient matrix, and refinements in both real and reciprocal space. Upon application of an oxidative potential in an Ar-saturated aqueous 0.1 M KHCO3/K2CO3 electrolyte, the face-centered cubic (f.c.c.) Ag gradually transforms first to a trigonal Ag2CO3 phase, followed by the formation of a monoclinic Ag2CO3 phase. A reducing potential immediately reverts the structure to the Ag (f.c.c.) phase. Following the electrochemical-reaction-induced phase transitions is of fundamental interest and necessary for understanding and improving the stability of electrocatalysts, and the operando cell proves a versatile setup for probing this. In addition, it is demonstrated that, when studying electrochemical reactions, a high energy or short exposure time is needed to circumvent beam-induced effects.

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HSBC has launched a cross-border virtual account solution aimed at...

The UAE has announced the introduction of 'Palm ID' technology, a payment solution that utilises the unique vein patterns in individuals' palms for...

Thunes has announced the expansion of its Direct Global Network...

Mastercard has launched the Mastercard Move Commercial...

Yuno, a provider of payment orchestration, has...

Mastercard has joined

Germany-based fintech MODIFI has announced...

BuzzAR has launched BuzzPay,...

Thunes, a global cross-border payments platform, has announced a...

FOMO Pay, a payment institution based in Singapore, has...