Purchase of an X-ray Diffractometer

University Of Delaware, Newark DE

Investigators

Abstract

With support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) Program, the Department of Chemistry at the University of Delaware will acquire a X-ray diffractometer with CCD detector for small molecule diffractometry. This equipment will enhance research in a number of areas including studies of a)polymorphs and superlattices; b) coordination and bioinorganic chemistry with sulfur ligands; c) paramagnetic chromium alkyl complexes; d) bioinorganic copper and heme-copper dioxygen chemistry; e) helicenes as potential asymmetric catalysts; f) molecular shaped directed crystal engineering; and g) microporous aluminosilicate materials: structure and formation mechanism. The X-ray diffractometer allows accurate and precise measurements of the full three dimensional structure of a molecule, including bond distances and angles, and it provides accurate information about the spatial arrangement of the molecule relative to the neighboring molecules. These studies will have an impact in a number of areas, including the preparation of more efficient catalysts, materials chemistry and biochemistry.