Crystallography
Crystallography is a powerful scientific technique used to determine the three-dimensional structure of crystalline materials at the atomic level. It has widespread applications in various scientific fields, including chemistry, biology, materials science, and solid-state physics. It has been instrumental in elucidating the structures of proteins, nucleic acids, small organic molecules, inorganic compounds, and complex materials, contributing significantly to our understanding of molecular interactions, biological processes, and the design of new materials with tailored properties.
A single crystal of the material under study is typically required. This crystal is placed in the path of a monochromatic X-ray beam or an electron beam. The X-rays or electrons interact with the electron cloud surrounding the atoms in the crystal, leading to constructive interference between scattering from different atomic planes within the crystal lattice.
By analyzing the resulting diffraction pattern, researchers can reconstruct the electron density distribution within the crystal. From the electron density distribution, the positions of the atoms within the crystal lattice can be determined with high precision. This information provides insight into the spatial arrangement of atoms, the bond lengths, bond angles, and other structural parameters, enabling scientists to understand the chemical and physical properties of the material.
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X-ray diffraction
Three-dimensional atomic structures of small molecules and proteins may be unambiguously determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Such compounds, which may be of either chemical or biological interest, include new synthetic chemicals, catalysts, pharmaceuticals, and natural products.
Learn more >Electron diffraction
Electron diffraction provides researchers with the ability to perform single crystal diffraction on samples smaller than those at the limit of X-ray diffraction, only a few hundred nanometers or less in size.
Learn more >Rigaku Reagents
Rigaku Reagents is a leading provider of protein science solution, creating research tools that accelerate discovery and decision-making in protein labs worldwide. Reagents and stock solutions are available in convenient screens and as custom products.
Learn more >Featured products
XtaLAB Synergy-S
Using a combination of leading-edge components and user-inspired software tied together through a highly parallelized architecture, the XtaLAB Synergy-S produces fast, accurate data in an intelligent fashion.
Learn more >XtaLAB mini II
The perfect addition to any synthetic chemistry laboratory, the XtaLAB mini II single crystal X-ray diffractometer will enhance research productivity by offering affordable structure analysis capability without the necessity of relying on a departmental facility.
Learn more >XtaLAB Synergy-ED
XtaLAB Synergy-ED is a new and fully integrated electron diffractometer, creating a seamless workflow from data collection to structure determination of three-dimensional molecular structures.
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