Synchrotron light sources require X-ray optics with extremely demanding accuracy for the surface profile, with less than 100 nrad slope errors and sub-nanometre height errors. Such errors are challenging to achieve for aspheres using traditional polishing methods. However, post-polishing error correction can be performed using techniques such as ion beam figuring (IBF) to improve optics to the desired quality. This work presents a brief overview of the history of IBF, introduces some of the challenges for obtaining such demanding figure errors, and highlights the work done at several in-house IBF facilities at synchrotron light sources worldwide to obtain state-of-the-art optical quality.

The users of synchrotron light are now tens of thousands throughout the world. Paradoxically, many of them do not know much about the early history of their domain. This is regrettable, since education about the initial developments makes it easier to fully understand synchrotron radiation and effectively use its amazing features. Scarcely known, in particular, is the key role of scientists working in Frascati, Italy. Partly based on his personal experiences, the author reports here relevant aspects of this story, including a pioneering French–Italian experiment that started in the early 1960s, and the Frascati contributions in the 1970s and 1980s to the birth of synchrotron light research. Finally, the unwise strategic decisions that prevented Italy from achieving absolute leadership in this domain – in spite of its unique initial advantages – are analyzed.

X-ray ptychography and ptychographic computed tomography have seen a rapid rise since the advent of fourth-generation synchrotrons with a high degree of coherent radiation. In addition to quantitative multiscale structural analysis, ptychography with spectral capabilities has been developed, allowing for spatial-localized multiscale structural and spectral information of samples. The SWING beamline of Synchrotron SOLEIL has recently developed a nanoprobe setup where the endstation's first spectral and resonant ptychographic measurements have been successfully conducted. A metallic nickel wire sample was measured using 2D spectral ptychography in XANES mode and resonant ptychographic tomography. From the 2D spectral ptychography measurements, the spectra of the components of the sample's complex-valued refractive index, δ and β, were extracted, integrated along the sample thickness. By performing resonance ptychographic tomography at two photon energies, 3D maps of the refractive index decrement, δ, were obtained at the Ni K-edge energy and another energy above the edge. These maps allowed the detection of impurities in the Ni wire. The significance of accounting for the atomic scattering factor is demonstrated in the calculation of electron density near a resonance through the use of the δ values. These results indicate that at the SWING beamline it is possible to conduct state-of-the-art spectral and resonant ptychography experiments using the nanoprobe setup.

The in situ measurement technique for a metal/metal-oxide mixture at extra-high temperature above 2000 K has been desired in the field of nuclear safety engineering. In the present study, we succeeded in simultaneous XAFS–XRD measurements of the Zr oxidation [Zr + O → Zr(O) + ZrO2] up to 1952 K and ZrO2–Y2O3 reaction from 1952 to 2519 K. The chemical shift during Zr oxidation was observed in the absorption spectra around the Zr K-edge, and the interatomic cation–cation and cation–oxygen distances obtained by the fitting analysis of EXAFS during the Y2O3–ZrO2 reaction are explained. Also, the temperature dependency of the anharmonic effect was investigated by comparing the fitted second- and third-order cumulants with the theoretical ones in which the Morse potential was applied as an interatomic potential, giving a good explanation about the local structure dynamics. Finally, the applicability of the developed system to investigation of nuclear fuel materials, such as UO2–Zr, is discussed.

Understanding the correlation between chemical and microstructural properties is critical for unraveling the fundamental relationship between materials chemistry and physical structures that can benefit materials science and engineering. Here, we demonstrate novel in situ correlative imaging of the X-ray Compton scattering computed tomography (XCS-CT) technique for studying this fundamental relationship. XCS-CT can image light elements that do not usually exhibit strong signals using other X-ray characterization techniques. This paper describes the XCS-CT setup and data analysis method for calculating the valence electron momentum density and lithium-ion concentration, and provides two examples of spatially and temporally resolved chemical properties inside batteries in 3D. XCS-CT was applied to study two types of rechargeable lithium batteries in standard coin cell casings: (1) a lithium-ion battery containing a cathode of bespoke microstructure and liquid electrolyte, and (2) a solid-state battery containing a solid-polymer electrolyte. The XCS-CT technique is beneficial to a wide variety of materials and systems to map chemical composition changes in 3D structures.

The demand for powder X-ray diffraction analysis continues to increase in a variety of scientific fields, as the excellent beam quality of high-brightness synchrotron light sources enables the acquisition of high-quality measurement data with high intensity and angular resolution. Synchrotron powder diffraction has enabled the rapid measurement of many samples and various in situ/operando experiments in nonambient sample environments. To meet the demands for even higher throughput measurements using high-energy X-rays at SPring-8, a high-throughput and high-resolution powder diffraction system has been developed. This system is combined with six sets of two-dimensional (2D) CdTe detectors for high-energy X-rays, and various automation systems, including a system for automatic switching among large sample environmental equipment, have been developed in the third experimental hutch of the insertion device beamline BL13XU at SPring-8. In this diffractometer system, high-brilliance and high-energy X-rays ranging from 16 to 72 keV are available. The powder diffraction data measured under ambient and various nonambient conditions can be analysed using Rietveld refinement and the pair distribution function. Using the 2D CdTe detectors with variable sample-to-detector distance, three types of scan modes have been established: standard, single-step and high-resolution. A major feature is the ability to measure a whole powder pattern with millisecond resolution. Equally important, this system can measure powder diffraction data with high Q exceeding 30 Å−1 within several tens of seconds. This capability is expected to contribute significantly to new research avenues using machine learning and artificial intelligence by utilizing the large amount of data obtained from high-throughput measurements.

During beam time at a research facility, alignment and optimization of instrumentation, such as spectrometers, is a time-intensive task and often needs to be performed multiple times throughout the operation of an experiment. Despite the motorization of individual components, automated alignment solutions are not always available. In this study, a novel approach that combines optimisers with neural network surrogate models to significantly reduce the alignment overhead for a mobile soft X-ray spectrometer is proposed. Neural networks were trained exclusively using simulated ray-tracing data, and the disparity between experiment and simulation was obtained through parameter optimization. Real-time validation of this process was performed using experimental data collected at the beamline. The results demonstrate the ability to reduce alignment time from one hour to approximately five minutes. This method can also be generalized beyond spectrometers, for example, towards the alignment of optical elements at beamlines, making it applicable to a broad spectrum of research facilities.

Transition-metal nitro­gen-doped carbons (TM-N-C) are emerging as a highly promising catalyst class for several important electrocatalytic processes, including the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). The unique local environment around the singly dispersed metal site in TM-N-C catalysts is likely to be responsible for their catalytic properties, which differ significantly from those of bulk or nanostructured catalysts. However, the identification of the actual working structure of the main active units in TM-N-C remains a challenging task due to the fluctional, dynamic nature of these catalysts, and scarcity of experimental techniques that could probe the structure of these materials under realistic working conditions. This issue is addressed in this work and the local atomistic and electronic structure of the metal site in a Co–N–C catalyst for CO2RR is investigated by employing time-resolved operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) combined with advanced data analysis techniques. This multi-step approach, based on principal component analysis, spectral decomposition and supervised machine learning methods, allows the contributions of several co-existing species in the working Co–N–C catalysts to be decoupled, and their XAS spectra deciphered, paving the way for understanding the CO2RR mechanisms in the Co–N–C catalysts, and further optimization of this class of electrocatalytic systems.

Two-directional beam-tracking (2DBT) is a method for phase-contrast imaging and tomography that uses an intensity modulator to structure the X-ray beam into an array of independent circular beamlets that are resolved by a high-resolution detector. It features isotropic spatial resolution, provides two-dimensional phase sensitivity, and enables the three-dimensional reconstructions of the refractive index decrement, δ, and the attenuation coefficient, μ. In this work, the angular sensitivity and the spatial resolution of 2DBT images in a synchrotron-based implementation is reported. In its best configuration, angular sensitivities of ∼20 nrad and spatial resolution of at least 6.25 µm in phase-contrast images were obtained. Exemplar application to the three-dimensional imaging of soft tissue samples, including a mouse liver and a decellularized porcine dermis, is also demonstrated.

The damage threshold of an Au-coated flat mirror, one of the reflective optics installed on the FEL-2 beamline of the Dalian Coherent Light Source, China, upon far-UV free-electron laser irradiation is evaluated. The surface of the coating is characterized by profilometer and optical microscope. A theoretical approach of the phenomenon is also presented, by application of conventional single-pulse damage threshold calculations, a one-dimensional thermal diffusion model, as well as finite-element analysis with ANSYS.

In-vacuum undulators (IVUs), which have become an essential tool in synchrotron radiation facilities, have two technical challenges toward further advancement: one is a strong attractive force between top and bottom magnetic arrays, and the other is a stringent requirement on magnetic materials to avoid demagnetization. The former imposes a complicated design on mechanical and vacuum structures, while the latter limits the possibility of using high-performance permanent magnets. To solve these issues, a number of technical developments have been made, such as force cancellation and modularization of magnetic arrays, and enhancement of resistance against demagnetization by means of a special magnetic circuit. The performance of a new IVU built upon these technologies has revealed their effectiveness for constructing high-performance IVUs in a cost-effective manner.

Advances in physics have been significantly driven by state-of-the-art technology, and in photonics and X-ray science this calls for the ability to manipulate the characteristics of optical beams. Orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams hold substantial promise in various domains such as ultra-high-capacity optical communication, rotating body detection, optical tweezers, laser processing, super-resolution imaging etc. Hence, the advancement of OAM beam-generation technology and the enhancement of its technical proficiency and characterization capabilities are of paramount importance. These endeavours will not only facilitate the use of OAM beams in the aforementioned sectors but also extend the scope of applications in diverse fields related to OAM beams. At the FERMI Free-Electron Laser (Trieste, Italy), OAM beams are generated either by tailoring the emission process on the undulator side or, in most cases, by coupling a spiral zone plate (SZP) in tandem with the refocusing Kirkpatrick–Baez active optic system (KAOS). To provide a robust and reproducible workflow to users, a Hartmann wavefront sensor (WFS) is used for both optics tuning and beam characterization. KAOS is capable of delivering both tightly focused and broad spots, with independent control over vertical and horizontal magnification. This study explores a novel non-conventional `near collimation' operational mode aimed at generating beams with OAM that employs the use of a lithographically manufactured SZP to achieve this goal. The article evaluates the mirror's performance through Hartmann wavefront sensing, offers a discussion of data analysis methodologies, and provides a quantitative analysis of these results with ptychographic reconstructions.

Errors in variable subscripts, equations and Fig. 8 in Section 3.2 of the article by Lotze et al. [(2024). J. Synchrotron Rad. 31, 42–52] are corrected.

Ultra-high-speed synchrotron-based hard X-ray (i.e. above 10 keV) imaging is gaining a growing interest in a number of scientific domains for tracking non-repeatable dynamic phenomena at spatio-temporal microscales. This work describes an optimized indirect X-ray imaging microscope designed to achieve high performance at micrometre pixel size and megahertz acquisition speed. The entire detector optical arrangement has an improved sensitivity within the near-ultraviolet (NUV) part of the emitted spectrum (i.e. 310–430 nm wavelength). When combined with a single-crystal fast-decay scintillator, such as LYSO:Ce (Lu2−xYxSiO5:Ce), it exploits the potential of the NUV light-emitting scintillators. The indirect arrangement of the detector makes it suitable for high-dose applications that require high-energy illumination. This allows for synchrotron single-bunch hard X-ray imaging to be performed with improved true spatial resolution, as herein exemplified through pulsed wire explosion and superheated near-nozzle gasoline injection experiments at a pixel size of 3.2 µm, acquisition rates up to 1.4 MHz and effective exposure time down to 60 ps.

An innovative dual-thickness semi-transparent beamstop designed to enhance the performance of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments is introduced. This design integrates two absorbers of differing thicknesses side by side into a single attenuator, known as a beamstop. Instead of completely stopping the direct beam, it attenuates it, allowing the SAXS detector to measure the transmitted beam through the sample. This approach achieves true synchronization in measuring both scattered and transmitted signals and effectively eliminates higher-order harmonic contributions when determining the transmission light intensity through the sample. This facilitates and optimizes signal detection and background subtraction. This contribution details the theoretical basis and practical implementation of this solution at the SAXS station on the 1W2A beamline at the Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility. It also anticipates its application at other SAXS stations, including that at the forthcoming High Energy Photon Source, providing an effective solution for high-precision SAXS experiments.

In the title mol­ecule, C21H15N3OS, the C5=C6 double bond in the central enone group adopts a trans configuration. The dihedral angle between planes of the thia­zole and pyrazole rings is 6.6 (2)°. In the crystal, pairs of C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds generate inversion dimers and another pair of C—H⋯N hydrogen bonds link the dimers into chains propagating along a-axis direction.

A second crystalline modification of the title compound, C12H19N3S [common name: cis-jasmone thio­semicarbazone] was crystallized from tetra­hydro­furane at room temperature. There is one crystallographic independent mol­ecule in the asymmetric unit, showing disorder in the cis-jasmone chain [site-occupancy ratio = 0.590 (14):0.410 (14)]. The thio­semicarbazone entity is approximately planar, with the maximum deviation from the mean plane through the N/N/C/S/N atoms being 0.0463 (14) Å [r.m.s.d. = 0.0324 Å], while for the five-membered ring of the jasmone fragment, the maximum deviation from the mean plane through the carbon atoms amounts to 0.0465 (15) Å [r.m.s.d. = 0.0338 Å]. The mol­ecule is not planar due to the dihedral angle between these two fragments, which is 8.93 (1)°, and due to the sp3-hybridized carbon atoms in the jasmone fragment chain. In the crystal, the mol­ecules are connected by N—H⋯S and C—H⋯S inter­actions, with graph-set motifs R22(8) and R21(7), building mono-periodic hydrogen-bonded ribbons along [010]. A Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates that the major contributions for the crystal cohesion are H⋯H (67.8%), H⋯S/S⋯H (15.0%), H⋯C/C⋯H (8.5%) and H⋯N/N⋯H (5.6%) [only non-disordered atoms and those with the highest s.o.f. were considered]. This work reports the second crystalline modification of the cis-jasmone thio­semicarbazone structure, the first one being published recently [Orsoni et al. (2020). Int. J. Mol. Sci. 21, 8681–8697] with the crystals obtained in ethanol at 273 K.

The reaction between a racemic mixture of (R,S)-fixolide and 4-methyl­thio­semicarbazide in ethanol with a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio and catalysed with HCl, yielded the title compound, C20H31N3S [common name: (R,S)-fixolide 4-methyl­thio­semicarbazone]. There is one crystallographically independent mol­ecule in the asymmetric unit, which is disordered over the aliphatic ring [site-occupancy ratio = 0.667 (13):0.333 (13)]. The disorder includes the chiral C atom, the neighbouring methyl­ene group and the methyl H atoms of the methyl group bonded to the chiral C atom. The maximum deviations from the mean plane through the disordered aliphatic ring amount to 0.328 (6) and −0.334 (6) Å [r.m.s.d. = 0.2061 Å], and −0.3677 (12) and 0.3380 (12) Å [r.m.s.d. = 0.2198 Å] for the two different sites. Both fragments show a half-chair conformation. Additionally, the N—N—C(=S)—N entity is approximately planar, with the maximum deviation from the mean plane through the selected atoms being 0.0135 (18) Å [r.m.s.d. = 0.0100 Å]. The mol­ecule is not planar due to the dihedral angle between the thio­semicarbazone entity and the aromatic ring, which amounts to 51.8 (1)°, and due to the sp3-hybridized carbon atoms of the fixolide fragment. In the crystal, the mol­ecules are connected by H⋯S inter­actions with graph-set motif C(4), forming a mono-periodic hydrogen-bonded ribbon along [100]. The Hirshfeld surface analysis suggests that the major contributions for the crystal cohesion are [(R,S)-isomers considered separately] H⋯H (75.7%), H⋯S/S⋯H (11.6%), H⋯C/C⋯H (8.3% and H⋯N/N⋯H (4.4% for both of them).

The mol­ecular structure of the solvated title salt, (C21H25N2)2[Fe2(C14H10S2)4]·2C3H7NO reveals that the anion is situated on a crystallographic inversion center in the triclinic space group Poverline{1}. The title compound crystallizes utilizing a network of weak π-stacking inter­actions of phenyl rings pertaining to the di­thiol­ene unit. Moreover, the acidic imidazolium H atoms [N—C(H)—N] display non-classical hydrogen-bonding inter­actions of the C—H⋯O type to the oxygen atoms of the N,N-dimethyl formamide solvent, and hydrogen atoms on the backbone of imidazolium rings display weak C—H⋯S inter­actions with the di­thiol­ene sulfur atoms.

In the paper by Oliveira et al. [IUCrData (2023), 8, x230971], there was an error in the name of the first author.

The equimolar and hydro­chloric acid-catalysed reaction between cis-jasmone and 4-methyl­thio­semicarbazide in ethano­lic solution yields the title compound, C13H21N3S (common name: cis-jasmone 4-methyl­thio­semicarbazone). Two mol­ecules with all atoms in general positions are present in the asymmetric unit. In one of them, the carbon chain is disordered [site occupancy ratio = 0.821 (3):0.179 (3)]. The thio­semicarbazone entities [N—N—C(=S)—N] are approximately planar, with the maximum deviation from the mean plane through the selected atoms being −0.0115 (16) Å (r.m.s.d. = 0.0078 Å) for the non-disordered mol­ecule and 0.0052 (14) Å (r.m.s.d. = 0.0031 Å) for the disordered one. The mol­ecules are not planar, since the jasmone groups have a chain with sp3-hybridized carbon atoms and, in addition, the thio­semicarbazone fragments are attached to the respective carbon five-membered rings and the dihedral angles between them for each mol­ecule amount to 8.9 (1) and 6.3 (1)°. In the crystal, the mol­ecules are connected through pairs of N—H⋯S and C—H⋯S inter­actions into crystallographically independent centrosymmetric dimers, in which rings of graph-set motifs R22(8) and R21(7) are observed. A Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates that the major contributions for the crystal cohesion are from H⋯H (70.6%), H⋯S/S⋯H (16.7%), H⋯C/C⋯H (7.5%) and H⋯N/N⋯H (4.9%) inter­actions [considering the two crystallographically independent mol­ecules and only the disordered atoms with the highest s.o.f. for the evaluation].

The central NiII atom in the title complex, [Ni(C13H25N2S2)2], is located on an inversion center and adopts a roughly square-planar coordination environment defined by two chelating N,S donor sets of two symmetry-related ligands in a trans configuration. The Ni—N and Ni—S bond lenghts are 1.9193 (14) and 2.1788 (5) Å, respectively, with a chelating N—Ni—S bond angle of 86.05 (4)°. These data are compared with those measured for similar di­thio­carbazato ligands that bear n-octyl or n-hexyl alkyl chains. Slight differences are observed with respect to the phenyl­ethyl­idene derivative where the ligands are bound cis relative to one another.

The mol­ecular structure of 2-ferrocenyl-2-[(2-ferrocenylethen­yl)(morpholin-4-yl)meth­yl]-1,3-di­thiol­ane, [Fe2(C5H5)2(C19H21NOS2)] or C29H31Fe2NOS2, has the ferrocenyl fragments in a trans disposition with respect to the vinyl group. One of the methyl­ene groups is disordered over two sites with occupancies of 0.782 (13):0.218 (13). In the crystal, cyclo­penta­dienyl-C—H⋯O(morpholin­yl) inter­actions feature within helical chains parallel to the c-axis direction. The chains are connected by methyl­ene- and cyclo­penta­dienyl-C—H⋯O(cyclo­penta­dien­yl) inter­actions.

The title compound, C16H12FN3OS, a fluorinated di­thio­carbazate imine derivative, was synthesized by the one-pot, multi-component condensation reaction of hydrazine hydrate, carbon di­sulfide, 4-fluoro­benzyl chloride and isatin. The compound demonstrates near-planarity across much of the mol­ecule in the solid state and a Z configuration for the azomethine C=N bond. The Z form is further stabilized by the presence of an intra­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bond. In the extended structure, mol­ecules are linked into dimers by N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and further connected into chains along either [2overline{1}0] or [100] by weak C—H⋯S and C—H⋯F hydrogen bonds, which further link into corrugated sheets and in combination form the overall three-dimensional network.

In the title compound, C22H11N3O3S, dihedral angle between the phenyl rings on the periphery of the molecule is 8.05 (18)°. In the crystal, aromatic π–π stacking distance and short C—H⋯O contacts are observed. The maximum absorption occurs at 688 nm.

In the title salt solvate (systematic name: 8-amino-5-ethyl-6-phenyl­phenanthridin-5-ium benzoate methanol monosolvate), C21H20N3+·C6H5CO2−·CH3OH, two ethidium cations, C21H20N3+, dimerize about a twofold axis through π–π inter­actions [inter-centroid separation = 3.6137 (4) Å]. The benzoate anions are connected through hydrogen bonding with the –NH2 groups of the ethidium cations and the –OH group of the MeOH mol­ecule. The MeOH mol­ecule also accepts a hydrogen bond from the –NH2 group of the ethidium cation. The result is a one-dimensional hydrogen-bonded chain along the b-axis direction.

The title compound, [Ag(C15H9N3S2)2]ClO4·2CH3OH, is monoclinic. The AgI atom is coordinated by pyrido N atoms and is two-coordinate; however, the AgI atom has nearby O atoms that can be assumed to be weakly bonded – one from the perchlorate anion and one from the methanol solvate molecule. One of the thienyl groups on a 2,3-bis­(thio­phen-2-yl)pyrido[3,4-b]pyrazine is flipped disordered and was refined to occupancies of 68.4 (6) and 31.6 (6)%.

In the title compound, [Ni(C13H13N4S)2]·0.33CH3OH·0.67H2O, the NiII atom is coordinated by two tridentate quinoline-2-carboxaldehyde 4-ethyl­thio­semi­car­ba­zonate ligands in a distorted octa­hedral shape. At 100 K, the crystal symmetry is monoclinic (space group P21/n). A mixture of water and methanol crystallizes with the title complex, and one of the ethyl groups in the coordinating ligands is disordered over two positions, with an occupancy ratio of 58:42. There is inter­molecular hydrogen bonding between the solvent mol­ecules and the amine and thiol­ate groups in the ligands. No other significant inter­actions are present in the crystal packing.

In the title compound, {(C6H8N)[Zn2(HPO3)2(H2PO3)]}n, the constituent ZnO4, HPO3 and H2PO3 polyhedra of the inorganic component are linked into (010) sheets by Zn—O—P bonds (mean angle = 134.4°) and the layers are reinforced by O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The protonated templates are anchored to the inorganic sheets via bifurcated N—H⋯(O,O) hydrogen bonds.

The title compound, C22H12N2S2, crystallizes in space group P21/c with four mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit. The heterocyclic mol­ecule is quasi-planar with a dihedral angle between the phenyl rings on the periphery of the mol­ecule of 1.73 (19)°. Short H⋯S (2.92 Å) and C—H⋯π [2.836 (3) Å] contacts are observed in the crystal with shorted π–π stacking distances of 3.438 (3) Å along the b axis. Surprisingly, and unlike a closely related material, this mol­ecule readily forms large crystals by sublimation and by slow evaporation from di­chloro­methane. The maximum absorbance in the UV-Vis spectrum is at 533 nm. Emission was measured upon excitation at 533 nm with a fluorescence λmax of 658 nm and cutoff of 900 nm.

In the crystal structure of the title compound, {[Co(C11H9NSO5)(C10H9N3)]0.5C3H7NO·H2O}n or {[Co(dmtb)(dpa)]·0.5DMF·H2O}n (dmtb2– = 5-[(di­meth­yl­amino)­thioxometh­oxy]-1,3-benzene­dicarboxyl­ate and dpa = 4,4'-di­pyridyl­amine), an assembly of periodic [Co(C11H9NSO5)(C10H9N3)]n layers extending parallel to the bc plane is present. Each layer is constituted by distorted [CoO4N2] octa­hedra, which are connected through the μ2-coordination modes of both dmtb2– and dpa ligands. Occupationally disordered water and di­meth­yl­formamide (DMF) solvent mol­ecules are located in the voids of the network to which they are connected through hydrogen-bonding inter­actions.

The title compound, [Fe(C84H52N12O4)Cl], crystallizes in space group C2/c. The central FeIII cation (site symmetry 2) is coordinated in a fivefold manner, with four pyrrole N atoms of the porphyrin core in the basal sites and one Cl atom (site symmetry 2) in the apical position, which completes a slightly distorted square-pyramidal environment. The porphyrin macrocycle shows a characteristic ruffled-shape distortion and the iron atom is displaced out of the porphyrin plane by 0.42 Å with the average Fe—N distance being 2.054 (4) Å; the Fe—Cl bond length is 2.2042 (7) Å. Inter­molecular C—H⋯N and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds occur in the crystal structure.

Crystals of the title salt, (C8H20N)[Sn(C6H5)3(C2H2O2S)], comprise diisobutyl­ammonium cations and mercapto­acetato­tri­phenyl­stannate(IV) anions. The bidentate binding mode of the mercapto­acetate ligand gives rise to a five-coordinated, ionic tri­phenyl­tin complex with a distorted cis-trigonal–bipyramidal geometry around the tin atom. In the crystal, charge-assisted ammonium-N—H⋯O(carboxyl­ate) hydrogen-bonding connects two cations and two anions into a four-ion aggregate. Two positions were resolved for one of the phenyl rings with the major component having a site occupancy factor of 0.60 (3).

The title compound, C10H8BrN3OS2, a brominated di­thio­carbazate imine deriv­ative, was obtained from the condensation reaction of S-methyl­dithio­carbazate (SMDTC) and 5-bromo­isatin. The essentially planar mol­ecule exhibits a Z configuration, with the di­thio­carbazate and 5-bromo­isatin fragments located on the same sides of the C=N azomethine bond, which allows for the formation of an intra­molecular N—H⋯Ob (b = bromo­isatin) hydrogen bond generating an S(6) ring motif. In the crystal, adjacent mol­ecules are linked by pairs of N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming dimers characterized by an R22(8) loop motif. In the extended structure, mol­ecules are linked into a three-dimensional network by C—H⋯S and C—H⋯Br hydrogen bonds, C—Br⋯S halogen bonds and aromatic π–π stacking.

The title di­thio­carbazate imine, C11H11N3OS2, was obtained from the condensation reaction of S-methyl­dithio­carbazate (SMDTC) and 5-methyl­isatin. It shows a Z configuration about the imine C=N bond, which is associated with an intra­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bond that closes an S(6) ring. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairwise N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds generate R22(8) loops. The extended structure features C—H⋯S contacts as well as reciprocal carbon­yl–carbonyl (C=O⋯C=O) inter­actions.

The thio­nocarbonate of trans-cyclo­octenediol, C9H12O2S, crystallizes with a 9/1 disorder in the position of the R,R and S,S-enanti­omers. As a result of trans-annulation, both rings adopt a twist conformation.

The crystal structure of the title compound, C14H12N2O2S, reveals two symmetrically independent mol­ecules within the asymmetric unit. Each mol­ecule contains a chromenone core attached to a 2-thio­phene ring, cyano, and amino groups. The 2-thio­phene ring of one of the two mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit was found to be disordered over two positions, with the major component having a site occupancy factor of 0.837 (2). The 2-thio­phene ring is nearly orthogonal to the fused 4H-pyran ring, with dihedral angles between the two sets of planes being 89.5 (5) and 89.63 (8)°. Inter­molecular hydrogen bonding, involving N—H⋯N and N—H⋯O inter­actions, creates two distinct motifs leading to the formation of a two-dimensional supra­molecular network along the crystallographic ac plane.

α-d-2'-De­oxy­ribonucleosides are products of the γ-irradiation of DNA under oxygen-free conditions and are constituents of anomeric DNA. They are not found as natural building blocks of canonical DNA. Reports on their conformational properties are limited. Herein, the single-crystal X-ray structure of α-d-2'-de­oxy­adenosine (α-dA), C10H13N5O3, and its conformational parameters were determined. In the crystalline state, α-dA forms two conformers in the asymmetric unit which are connected by hydro­gen bonds. The sugar moiety of each conformer is arranged in a `clamp'-like fashion with respect to the other conformer, forming hydro­gen bonds to its nucleobase and sugar residue. For both conformers, a syn conformation of the nucleobase with respect to the sugar moiety was found. This is contrary to the anti conformation usually preferred by α-nucleosides. The sugar conformation of both conformers is C2'-endo, and the 5'-hydroxyl groups are in a +sc orientation, probably due to the hydro­gen bonds formed by the conformers. The formation of the supra­molecular assembly of α-dA is controlled by hydro­gen bonding and stacking inter­actions, which was verified by a Hirshfeld and curvedness surface analysis. Chains of hydro­gen-bonded nucleobases extend parallel to the b direction and are linked to equivalent chains by hydro­gen bonds involving the sugar moieties to form a sheet. A com­parison of the solid-state structures of the anomeric 2'-de­oxy­adenosines revealed significant differences of their conformational parameters.

A confiscated package of street drugs was characterized by the usual mass spectral (MS) and FT–IR analyses. The confiscated powder material was highly crystalline and was found to consist of two very different species, accidentally of sizes convenient for X-ray diffraction. Thus, one each was selected and redundant com­plete sets of data were collected at 100 K using Cu Kα radiation. The selected crystals contained: (a) 1,2-diphenyl-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)ethanone hy­dro­chloride hemihydrate or 1-(2-oxo-1,2-di­phenyl­eth­yl)pyrrolidin-1-ium chloride hemihydrate, C18H20NO+·Cl−·0.5H2O, (I), a synthetic cathinone called `α-D2PV', and (b) the sugar myo-inositol, C6H12O6, (II), probably the only instance in which the drug and its diluent have been fully characterized from a single confiscated sample. Moreover, the structural details of both are rather attractive showing: (i) inter­esting hydrogen bonding observed in pairwise inter­actions by the drug mol­ecules, mediated by the chloride counter-anions and the waters of crystallization, and (ii) π–π inter­actions in the case of the phenyl rings of the drug which are of two different types, namely, π–π stacking and edge-to-π. Finally, the inositol crystallizes with Z' = 2 and the resulting diastereoisomers were examined by overlay techniques.

The crystal structure of a new 1:1 cocrystal of carbamazepine and S-naproxen (C15H12N2O·C14H14O3) was solved from powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). The PXRD pattern was measured at the high-resolution beamline CRISTAL at synchrotron SOLEIL (France). The structure was solved using Monte Carlo simulated annealing, then refined with Rietveld refinement. The positions of the H atoms were obtained from density functional theory (DFT) ground-state calculations. The symmetry is ortho­rhom­bic with the space group P212121 (No. 19) and the following lattice parameters: a = 33.5486 (9), b = 26.4223 (6), c = 5.3651 (10) Å and V = 4755.83 (19) Å3.

This report presents a comprehensive investigation into the synthesis and characterization of Schiff base com­pounds derived from benzene­sul­fon­amide. The synthesis process, involved the reaction between N-cyclo­amino-2-sulf­anil­amide and various substituted o-salicyl­aldehydes, resulted in a set of com­pounds that were subjected to rigorous characterization using advanced spectral techniques, including 1H NMR, 13C NMR and FT–IR spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Furthermore, an in-depth assessment of the synthesized com­pounds was conducted through Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion and Toxicity (ADMET) analysis, in conjunction with docking studies, to elucidate their pharmacokinetic profiles and potential. Impressively, the ADMET analysis showcased encouraging drug-likeness properties of the newly synthesized Schiff bases. These computational findings were substanti­ated by mol­ecular properties derived from density functional theory (DFT) calculations using the B3LYP/6-31G* method within the Jaguar Module of Schrödinger 2023-2 from Maestro (Schrodinger LLC, New York, USA). The ex­plor­ation of frontier mol­ecular orbitals (HOMO and LUMO) enabled the computation of global reactivity descriptors (GRDs), encompassing charge separation (Egap) and global softness (S). Notably, within this analysis, one Schiff base, namely, 4-bromo-2-{N-[2-(pyr­rol­idine-1-sul­fonyl)phenyl]car­box­imid­oyl}phenol, 20, em­erged with the smallest charge separation (ΔEgap = 3.5780 eV), signifying heightened potential for biological properties. Conversely, 4-bromo-2-{N-[2-(piper­idine-1-sul­fonyl)phenyl]car­box­imid­oyl}phenol, 17, exhibited the largest charge separation (ΔEgap = 4.9242 eV), implying a relatively lower propensity for biological activity. Moreover, the synthesized Schiff bases displayed re­marke­able inhibition of tankyrase poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase enzymes, integral in colon cancer, surpassing the efficacy of a standard drug used for the same purpose. Additionally, their bioavailability scores aligned closely with established medications such as trifluridine and 5-fluoro­uracil. The ex­plor­ation of mol­ecular electrostatic potential through colour mapping delved into the electronic behaviour and reactivity tendencies intrinsic to this diverse range of mol­ecules.

The coordination of hydro­tris­[3-(2-furyl)pyrazol-1-yl]borate (Tp2-Fu, C21H16BN6O3) to lan­tha­nide(III) ions is achieved for the first time with the com­plex [Ln(Tp2-Fu)2](BPh4)·xCH2Cl2 (1-Ln has Ln = Ce and x = 2; 1-Dy has Ln = Dy and x = 1). This was accom­plished via both hydrous (Ln = Ce) and anhydrous methods (Ln = Dy). When isolating the dysprosium analogue, the filtrate produced a second crop of crystals which were revealed to be the 1,2-borotropic-shifted product [Dy(κ4-Tp2-Fu)(κ5-Tp2-Fu*)](BPh4) (2) {Tp2-Fu* = hydro­bis­[3-(2-furyl)pyrazol-1-yl][5-(2-furyl)pyrazol-1-yl]borate}. We con­clude that the pres­ence of a strong Lewis acid and a sterically crowded coordination environment are contributing factors for the 1,2-borotropic shifting of scorpionate ligands in conjunction with the size of the conical angle with the scorpionate ligand.

The influence of the crystal synthesis method on the crystallographic structure of caffeine–citric acid co­crystals was analyzed thanks to the synthesis of a new polymorphic form of the cocrystal. In order to com­pare the new form to the already known forms, the crystal structure of the new cocrystal (C8H10N4O2·C6H8O7) was solved by powder X-ray diffraction thanks to synchrotron experiments. The structure determination was performed using `GALLOP', a recently developed hybrid approach based on a local optimization with a particle swarm optimizer, particularly powerful when applied to the structure resolution of materials of pharmaceutical inter­est, com­pared to classical Monte-Carlo simulated annealing. The final structure was obtained through Rietveld refinement, and first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to locate the H atoms. The symmetry is triclinic with the space group Poverline{1} and contains one mol­ecule of caffeine and one mol­ecule of citric acid per asymmetric unit. The crystallographic structure of this cocrystal involves different hydrogen-bond associations com­pared to the already known structures. The analysis of these hydrogen bonds indicates that the cocrystal obtained here is less stable than the co­crystals already identified in the literature. This analysis is confirmed by the determination of the melting point of this cocrystal, which is lower than that of the previously known co­crystals.

Using a 1:1 cocrystal of (E)-N-(3,4-di­fluoro­phen­yl)-1-(pyridin-4-yl)methanimine with acetic acid, C12H8F2N2·C2H4O2, we investigate the influence of F atoms introduced to the aromatic ring on promoting π–π inter­actions. The cocrystal crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1. Through crystallographic analysis and com­putational studies, we reveal the mol­ecular arrangement within this co­crystal, demonstrating the presence of hydrogen bonding between the acetic acid mol­ecule and the pyridyl group, along with π–π inter­actions between the aromatic rings. Our findings highlight the importance of F atoms in promoting π–π inter­actions without necessitating full halogenation of the aromatic ring.

3D electron diffraction (3D ED), or microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED), has become an alternative technique for determining the high-resolution crystal structures of compounds from sub-micron-sized crystals. Here, we considered l-alanine, α-glycine and urea, which are known to form good-quality crystals, and collected high-resolution 3D ED data on our in-house TEM instrument. In this study, we present a comparison of independent atom model (IAM) and transferable aspherical atom model (TAAM) kinematical refinement against experimental and simulated data. TAAM refinement on both experimental and simulated data clearly improves the model fitting statistics (R factors and residual electrostatic potential) compared to IAM refinement. This shows that TAAM better represents the experimental electrostatic potential of organic crystals than IAM. Furthermore, we compared the geometrical parameters and atomic displacement parameters (ADPs) resulting from the experimental refinements with the simulated refinements, with the periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations and with published X-ray and neutron crystal structures. The TAAM refinements on the 3D ED data did not improve the accuracy of the bond lengths between the non-H atoms. The experimental 3D ED data provided more accurate H-atom positions than the IAM refinements on the X-ray diffraction data. The IAM refinements against 3D ED data had a tendency to lead to slightly longer X—H bond lengths than TAAM, but the difference was statistically insignificant. Atomic displacement parameters were too large by tens of percent for l-alanine and α-glycine. Most probably, other unmodelled effects were causing this behaviour, such as radiation damage or dynamical scattering.

Starting from [Mn(C5H4Br)(PPh3)(CO)2] (1a), the cymantrenyl thio­ethers [Mn(C5H4SMe)(PPh3)(CO)2] (1b) and [Mn{C5H4–nBr(SMe)n}(PPh3)(CO)2] (n = 1 for com­pound 2, n = 2 for 3 and n = 3 for 4) were obtained, using either n-butyllithium (n-BuLi), lithium diiso­propyl­amide (LDA) or lithium tetra­methyl­piperidide (LiTMP) as base, followed by electrophilic quenching with MeSSMe. Stepwise consecutive reaction of [Mn(C5Br5)(PPh3)(CO)2] with n-BuLi and MeSSMe led finally to [Mn{C5(SMe)5}(PPh3)(CO)2] (11), only the fifth com­plex to be reported containing a perthiol­ated cyclo­penta­dienyl ring. The mol­ecular and crystal structures of 1b, 3, 4 and 11 were determined and were studied for the occurrence of S⋯S and S⋯Br inter­actions. It turned out that although some inter­actions of this type occurred, they were of minor importance for the arrangement of the mol­ecules in the crystal.

The title compound, 3-[(benzo-1,3-dioxol-5-yl)amino]-4-meth­oxy­cyclo­but-3-ene-1,2-dione, C12H9NO5 (3), is a precursor to an anti­mycobacterial squaramide. Block-shaped crystals of a monoclinic form (3-I, space group P21/c, Z = 8, Z' = 2) and needle-shaped crystals of a triclinic form (3-II, space group P-1, Z = 4, Z' = 2) were found to crystallize concomitantly. In both crystal forms, R22(10) dimers assemble through N—H⋯O=C hydrogen bonds. These dimers are formed from crystallographically unique mol­ecules in 3-I, but exhibit crystallographic Ci symmetry in 3-II. Twinning by pseudomerohedry was encountered in the crystals of 3-II. The conformations of 3 in the solid forms 3-I and 3-II are different from one another but are similar for the unique mol­ecules in each polymorph. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the free mol­ecule of 3 indicate that a nearly planar conformation is preferred.

A series of organotin heterocycles of general formula [{Me2C(C6H3CH2)2O}SnR2] [R = methyl (Me, 4), n-butyl (n-Bu, 5), benzyl (Bn, 6) and phenyl (Ph, 7)] was easily synthesized by a Barbier-type reaction assisted by the sonochemical activation of metallic magnesium. The 119Sn{1H} NMR data for all four com­pounds confirm the presence of a central Sn atom in a four-coordinated environment in solution. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies for 17,17-dimethyl-7,7-di­phenyl-15-oxa-7-stanna­tetra­cyclo­[11.3.1.05,16.09,14]hepta­deca-1,3,5(16),9(14),10,12-hexa­­ene, [Sn(C6H5)2(C17H16O)], 7, at 100 and 295 K con­firmed the formation of a mono­nuclear eight-membered heterocycle, with a conformation depicted as boat–chair, resulting in a weak Sn⋯O inter­action. The Sn and O atoms are surrounded by hydro­phobic C—H bonds. A Hirshfeld surface analysis of 7 showed that the eight-membered heterocycles are linked by weak C—H⋯π, π–π and H⋯H noncovalent inter­actions. The pairwise inter­action energies showed that the cohesion between the heterocycles are mainly due to dispersion forces.

It is well known that Hirshfeld surfaces provide an easy and straightforward way of analysing inter­molecular inter­actions in the crystal environment. The use of atomic Hirshfeld surfaces has also demonstrated that such surfaces carry information related to chemical bonds which allow a deeper evaluation of the structures. Here we briefly summarize the approach of atomic Hirshfeld surfaces while further evaluating the kind of information that can be retrieved from them. We show that the analysis of the metal-centre Hirshfeld surfaces from structures refined via Hirshfeld Atom Refinement (HAR) allow accurate evaluation of contacts of type M⋯H, and that such contacts can be related to the overall shape of the surfaces. The com­pounds analysed were tetra­aqua­bis­(3-carb­oxy­propionato)metal(II), [M(C4H3O4)2(H2O)4], for metal(II)/M = manganese/Mn, cobalt/Co, nickel/Ni and zinc/Zn. We also evaluate the sensitivity of the surfaces by an investigation of seemingly flat surfaces through analysis of the curvature functions in the direction of C—C bonds. The obtained values not only demonstrate variations in curvature but also show a correlation with the hybridization of the C atoms involved in the bond.

Three 2,4-di­aryl­pyrroles were synthesized starting from 4-nitro­butano­nes and the crystal structures of two derivatives were analysed. These are 4-(4-meth­oxy­phen­yl)-2-(thio­phen-2-yl)-1H-pyrrole, C15H13NOS, and 3-(4-bromo­phen­yl)-2-nitroso-5-phenyl-1H-pyrrole, C16H11BrN2O. Although pyrroles without sub­stituents at the α-position with respect to the N atom are very air sensitive and tend to polymerize, we succeeded in growing an adequate crystal for X-ray diffraction analysis. Further derivatization using sodium nitrite afforded a nitrosyl pyrrole derivative, which crystallized in the triclinic space group Poverline{1} with Z = 6. Thus, herein we report the first crystal structure of a nitrosyl pyrrole. Inter­estingly, the co-operative hydrogen bonds in this NO-substituted pyrrole lead to a trimeric structure with bifurcated halogen bonds at the ends, forming a two-dimensional (2D) layer with inter­stitial voids having a radius of 5 Å, similar to some reported macrocyclic porphyrins.