Resolving large unit cells by using the correct detector, distance, and beam divergence

Large unit cells pose a challenge for any home lab diffractometer equipped with modern, high-flux confocal multilayer optics with a small beam size (≤ 100 μm). The larger the unit cell, the closer the reflections are to each other on a diffraction image. To minimize overlap and resolve these reflections as separate peaks, one usually increases the crystal-to-detector distance, but larger distances result in enlarged reflections due to the divergence of the X-ray beam. Therefore, adjustable divergence on the optics is critical. Here, we will show the screening, data collection and structure solution for a large unit cell sample using a combination of the correct detector, crystal-to-detector distance and beam divergence.