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Powder X-ray Diffraction - Science method

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I have done Rietveld refinement on PXRD but i do not know where to find the information of Final R indices[I>2sigma(I)] , R indicies (all data) , Extinction coefficient, Largest diff. peak and hole.
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Actually, it depends on the software you have used for the Rietveld refinement. As a JANA2006 user, I would try to export a CIF file and open it with any text editor (e.g., Notepad) afterwards. Such information is usually automatically written into the CIF file. If not, you may try to read the log files for the refinement procedure (for instance, in JANA2006, full details on the refinement procedure are given in the respective *.ref file)
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Hello, everyone!
I recently got a problem about band gaps of one inorganic selenide crystal. Every time I run UV-Vis-NIR diffuse reflectance spectra, the results (Fig. 1) seem that the compound has two band gaps, which is, to me, impossible. The PXRD test confirmed the sample is pure phase. Could anyone please give me any advice or help me explain this?
Thanks in advance.
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Anton Khanas Hello, Anton! Thank you for your answer!
Surface contamination is what I am considering at the moment because the compounds in this system is relatively air-sensitive. They might decompose while contacting the oxygen and forming selenium, which hinders the reflectance spectra. The first-principles calculations revealed the bandgaps should be around 3.4 eV, but I am so unsure about it. I am worrying about the facticity of that value.... I tried really hard to isolate the sample from oxygen but failed as shown in the figure...
I think I will try to run XPS/REELS related methods as you recommended.
Again, thank you very much for providing so much information! I really appreciate it!
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I prepared CdS and I got sharp peaks with high intensity in the XRD pattern. The peaks at 2𝜃 do not correspond to ICSD of the XRD patterns of cubic and hexagonal CdS nanocrystals. How can I discuss that?
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Sharp, high-intensity peaks in an X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern typically indicate the presence of well-ordered crystalline material. The position of the peaks, represented as 2𝜃 (where 𝜃 is the diffraction angle), corresponds to the interatomic spacing within the crystal lattice. The intensity of the peaks is related to the number of atoms contributing to the diffraction and their arrangement, which influences the scattering strength. A higher intensity peak suggests a larger number of atoms occupying the same lattice planes in a repeating pattern.
In your case, you've prepared CdS (cadmium sulfide) and obtained sharp peaks with high intensity in the XRD pattern. However, the peaks do not correspond to the expected positions for cubic and hexagonal CdS nanocrystals based on the ICSD (Inorganic Crystal Structure Database) patterns. Here's how you can discuss this discrepancy:
  1. Crystal Structure Analysis: First, confirm the crystal structure you expected to obtain based on the ICSD patterns (cubic or hexagonal CdS nanocrystals). Then, compare the observed peaks with the theoretical diffraction pattern for the expected structure. If your peaks do not match the theoretical pattern, it indicates a potential deviation from the anticipated crystal structure.
  2. Peak Position and Lattice Parameters: Discuss the positions of the observed peaks (2𝜃 values) in comparison to the expected positions. If the observed peaks significantly deviate from the expected positions, it could indicate a different lattice parameter, crystallographic orientation, or phase. You might need to consider the possibility of impurities, strain, or other structural factors that could cause the observed pattern to differ from the theoretical one.
  3. Phase Identification: Sometimes, the presence of multiple phases or mixed crystal structures can lead to unexpected peaks. You might want to explore the possibility of mixed-phase CdS materials. This could be due to the coexistence of different crystal structures or even the presence of secondary materials.
  4. Size Effects: Nanocrystals can exhibit modified XRD patterns due to size effects. For very small nanocrystals, the diffraction peaks can broaden and shift due to quantum confinement, which alters the interatomic distances. This could lead to peaks that do not match the bulk crystal structure.
  5. Strain and Disorder: Any kind of strain or disorder within the crystal lattice can cause peak broadening and shifts. Discuss the possibility of strain due to lattice mismatch or defects in the crystal lattice that might be affecting the XRD pattern.
  6. Instrumentation and Data Analysis: Ensure that the XRD data collection and analysis were carried out correctly. Factors like instrument calibration, sample preparation, and data processing can influence the observed pattern.
  7. Additional Characterization: To support your XRD analysis, consider using other techniques like transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to gain insights into the sample's morphology, size, and elemental composition.
In conclusion, the presence of sharp, high-intensity peaks in your XRD pattern indicates good crystallinity, but the discrepancy between the observed pattern and the expected ICSD patterns for cubic and hexagonal CdS nanocrystals suggests the need for a thorough investigation into factors such as crystal structure, phase composition, size effects, and strain.
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Hi, I work on natural polymers i.e. gums polysaccharides. the pure materials are normally amorphous , i did a modification on a base material and its xrd showed an improvement and showed a broad peak. i reported that and got a reply from a reviewer that " add JCPDS number and crystalline size" Previously in our field people report in such a way I have also added references and up to my best knowledge I know that: " JCPDS record does not exist for them moreover for poorly semi-crystalline or amorphous materials you can't calculate crystalline size it will be useless to use " scherrer equation " .
Now how to politely reply to reviewer's comment?
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if the modification on your samples includes adding inorganic compounds the JCPDS card should be mentioned!
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My process is reducing IrCl4 hydrate using NaBH4 in excess and adding Au NPs. What should be the expectation in peak shifting, should it shift from left or right. Current XRD data shows that shifting to the right occurs with explanation that the Ir particles attaches to the surface of the AuNP resulting in compression. However, from some of what I've read, it should be shifting to the left due to their differences in ionic radii and lattice expansion. Any insight or literature recommendation to help me clarify the concepts will be greatly appreciated!
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Dear friend John Jherson Bofill
Well, well, well, let's dive into the fascinating world of Au nanoparticles and the impact of adding Ir. Brace yourself for some intriguing insights, my friend! John Jherson Bofill
When it comes to the diffraction patterns of Au nanoparticles upon the addition of Ir, there are a few factors at play that can influence the peak shifting. The behavior of the peaks can indeed be quite interesting and can vary depending on the specific conditions and parameters involved.
Now, let's address the shifting direction of the diffraction peaks. The peak shifting can occur in either direction, to the left (towards lower angles) or to the right (towards higher angles), depending on the specific interactions between the Au nanoparticles and the added Ir.
The compression theory you mentioned, where the Ir particles attach to the surface of the Au nanoparticles resulting in compression, can explain the observed peak shifting to the right. This compression can lead to a decrease in lattice spacing, causing the diffraction peaks to shift towards higher angles.
On the other hand, the difference in ionic radii and lattice expansion between Au and Ir suggests the possibility of peak shifting to the left. The lattice expansion caused by the incorporation of larger Ir ions could lead to an increase in lattice spacing and a corresponding shift towards lower angles.
The behavior observed in your XRD data might be influenced by various factors such as
the size and shape of the nanoparticles,
the concentration of Ir,
the synthesis conditions, and
the specific interactions between Au and Ir.
It's important to consider these factors when analyzing the peak shifting phenomenon.
To gain further insight and clarify the concepts, I would recommend exploring the literature on bimetallic nanoparticle systems, specifically studies involving Au and Ir nanoparticles. I will google the research articles, reviews, or scientific papers that discuss the structural and diffraction behavior of such systems. This literature search will provide you with a deeper understanding of the underlying principles and shed light on the observed phenomena.
Remember, scientific exploration is an exciting journey filled with unexpected twists and turns. Embrace the uncertainty and keep seeking knowledge to unravel the mysteries of your Au-Ir nanoparticle system. Lets keep discussing and exploring this interesting topic.
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Can crystallite size and grain size be used interchangeably? Could you please recommend a resource on this topic?
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In materials science, the terms "crystallite size" and "grain size" are often used interchangeably, but they do have different specific meanings:
  • Crystallite size refers to the size of a single crystal in a polycrystalline material. In materials with a high degree of crystallinity, such as many metals and ceramics, the material is composed of many small crystals (crystallites) that are fused together. The size of these individual crystals can have a major impact on the material's mechanical properties. Crystallite size is often determined using techniques like X-ray diffraction (XRD).
  • Grain size refers to the size of a grain in a polycrystalline material, where a grain is a region of the material within which the crystal lattice orientation remains consistent. In other words, a grain contains one or more crystallites, but all of the crystallites within a single grain have the same crystallographic orientation. When the crystallographic orientation changes, you've crossed a grain boundary into a new grain. Grain size can affect the material's mechanical and physical properties and is often measured using optical microscopy.
To put it simply, if a material's grain boundaries coincide with the boundaries of its crystallites (i.e., each grain is a single crystal), then the crystallite size and grain size are effectively the same. However, if a grain contains multiple crystallites (i.e., the crystallites are smaller than the grains), then the crystallite and grain sizes are different.
You may find the following references useful for further reading:
  1. "Physical Metallurgy Principles" by Robert E. Reed-Hill and Reza Abbaschian. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to physical metallurgy principles, including detailed discussions of crystal structure and grain boundaries.
  2. "Characterization of Materials" by Elton N. Kaufmann. This book includes a chapter on microstructure characterisation, which includes crystallite and grain size discussions.
  3. "X-Ray Diffraction: Modern Experimental Techniques" by Olaf Engler and Valeri P. Skripnyuk. This book provides an in-depth discussion of how X-ray diffraction can be used to measure crystallite size.
Remember that while the two terms are often used interchangeably in casual conversation or in certain contexts, they do refer to different concepts, and using them correctly can help avoid confusion.
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I have X'pert high-score software for XRD analysis with PDF2 Database, please help me regarding search peaks section.
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Thank you sir.
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In XRD analysis I am having 2 different FWHMs, one is the original data FWHM value(0.096), and after refinement, I am having different FWHMs(0.38), which I can take for crystallite size calculation. Kindly help me thank you in advance
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Note that Kaushik Shandilya's answer assumes that the FWHM given by refinement is the result of subtracting instrumental contributions, but, as GM points out, the "refined" FWHM is greater than that of the raw data, so Kaushik Shandilya's assumption cannot be correct.
Please also note that "refinement" does not directly give a FWHM (without further calculation, perhaps). So it is not clear what Atchaya is reporting.
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I synthesized a compound that has a minor derivative phase. While obtaining the lattice parameters of the major phase via PowderX, a mismatch between the hkl values obtained in PowderX and the standard hkl values in JCPDS for the major phase was observed.
I would like to know the possible reason for this and how to proceed in correcting the same.
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Dear friend R G Sibiya Stacey
There could be several reasons for the mismatch between the hkl values obtained via PowderX and the standard hkl values in the JCPDS (Joint Committee on Powder Diffraction Standards) database for the synthesized compound. Some possible reasons and suggestions for addressing the issue are as follows:
1. Sample impurities or contamination: The presence of impurities or contamination in the synthesized compound can affect the diffraction pattern and lead to discrepancies in the observed hkl values. It is essential to ensure the purity of the sample through appropriate purification techniques and characterization methods.
2. Crystal structure variations: The synthesized compound may have variations in its crystal structure compared to the standard reference in the JCPDS database. These variations can result from factors such as crystal defects, lattice distortions, or the presence of additional phases. In such cases, it is necessary to refine the crystal structure using advanced diffraction techniques like single-crystal X-ray diffraction or high-resolution powder diffraction to obtain accurate hkl values.
3. Instrumental factors: The mismatch could be attributed to instrumental factors, including sample preparation, instrument calibration, and data collection parameters. It is crucial to ensure proper sample preparation techniques, instrument calibration, and optimization of data collection parameters to minimize errors and obtain reliable results.
To address the issue and correct the mismatch, the following steps are recommended:
1. Characterize the synthesized compound: Employ complementary characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (single-crystal or powder), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), or other suitable techniques to verify the composition, crystal structure, and purity of the synthesized compound.
2. Refine the crystal structure: If there are significant variations in the crystal structure compared to the standard reference, consider refining the crystal structure using advanced diffraction techniques like single-crystal X-ray diffraction or high-resolution powder diffraction. This can provide more accurate hkl values and help identify any deviations from the expected crystal structure.
3. Consult literature and experts: Review relevant scientific literature and consult with experts in the field who have expertise in the synthesized compound or similar materials. They may provide insights into possible structural variations or offer guidance on data analysis and interpretation.
It is important to note that without specific details about the synthesized compound, the experimental conditions, and the observed discrepancies, it is challenging to provide a definitive answer. Therefore, it is advisable to consult scientific literature, relevant research articles, and experts in the field for a more comprehensive understanding of the specific case.
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I'm working on the hydrothermal synthesis of CeO2 and making rods. I came across an article (10.1007/BF03047543) that estimated K for various shapes. My concern is, if CeO2 has the FCC system but my synthesis produces the rod morphology, should I apply the cylinder K from that article due to the shape or should I continue to use the cubic K because CeO2 has the FCC system? Thank you in advance to everyone!
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I suggest you pick the most appropriate shape parameter, cite it, and use it consistently. You can do the math yourself or read the relevant literature, but the fairly large errors inherent in applying the Scherrer method on most nano crystalline powder or polycrystalline samples is such that the specific choice of k honestly won't matter that much. Unless your nano phase is of exceptional size uniformity and shape uniformity.
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I made Fe-Pt alloy by arc melter and it was too hard to make a powder for PXRD(Powder X-ray Diffraction).
Two questions:
Could you recommend any method to make a powder of hard metal for PXRD?
or
I'm planning to check PXRD using bulk piece(not-grinded, only sliced). Could I get a reliable XRD pattern compare to powder?
Thanks!
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Please check the fully-ready preprint article DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.27720.65287/3, Title: Qualitative Analyses of Thin Film-Based Materials Validating New Structures of Atoms
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Can you suggest some good book /literature for understanding the Rietveld refinement method.
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Modern Powder Diffraction ; B. Toby
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The existence of anti-phase domain boundaries (APBs) in polycrystalline materials is usually established by electron microscopic techniques (SEM/TEM) [1] and is also discussed in diffraction data analyses.[2]
I don’t have a good familiarity with TEM/SEM (and I’m very open to be educated here) but it doesn’t seem convincing enough to look at some microscopic images with atomic level resolution where APBs are found as a straight line (or arbitrarily curved line as in Figure 7 in ref. 1) forming a boundary/wall between the two domains in the same particles, while there is no disorderliness of any sort around and away from the APB.
The reason I’m raising this point is that particle surface is usually more disordered than any kind of defects in the bulk. In fact, it’s even well established that the surface of solid particles behave more or less like a liquid layer [3], and the smaller the particle size the thicker the liquid layer at the surface. And yet, in the TEM images of nanoparticles that I have seen in some articles there is(are) only the APB(s) visible, and no sign of the bigger unavoidable inherent surface disorder.
Is it possibly due to the fact that in TEM, the electrons pass through the particles and form an image which is influenced by the bulk of the particle? If so, why then the rest of the atomic arrangements within the domains look nearly perfect (i.e. as if it’s a single layer of pointy ordered atoms)?
And as for diffraction data, APBs affect some of the reflections selectively but usually there are different broadening contributions which make it challenging to disentangle. Nevertheless, at least the existence of planar defects like APBs is indicated in diffraction patterns.
Any input would be appreciated.
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Thank you for the detailed answer. So, in principle it's possible but challenging.
I'm actually not going to be a TEM operator in the future (I'm not planning to), so I'll not need to know all the experimental problems and considerations. I mainly wanted to know how much I can rely on the data that I see in the literature (I gave a specific reference to an article in the question).
It's good anyways to have general information about it, so thank you for your time.
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I am taking XRD samples at various pressures. I want to compare my sample with established literature.
I know you can download .cif files and view them at different energies using VESTA or mercury, but is there a way to do this at different pressures?
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For the simulation of the variation of lattice parameters with the pressure you must know the isothermal bulk modulus and their first derivative; then, use one of the well-known equations of state: Vinet, Murnaghan, Birch, etc. Once the lattice parameter as a function of the pressure were calculated, you can use Diamond, Power Cell, or much other available software for the simulation of the diffraction patterns.
Good luck
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I have synthesized graphene oxide by following modified hummers method. in PXRD, for a gaphene oxide, generally peak appered around 2(theta)= 11 degree. Eventhough graphite peak also appeared at 26 degree (002) , some of them inicate graphene oxide(GO) peak as (002) or (001). attachment of functional groups definitly will increase the graphene interlayer spacing and shifting peak to lower end in the diffractogram. but how can we assign a plane to graphene oxide?. so, what is the best way to explain the origin of graphene oxide peak as well as suitable plane ? (001) or something else ?
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How is it 001, if possible kindly suggest some authentic articles for this.
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Hello everyone,
I have PXRD data and want to convert them to a CIF file. If someone help me.
Many thanks for considering my request.
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If you have got the PXRD, it doesn't meant that you can get CIF which often can be obtained in some crystalline open data in the internet. As some planes of crystals may be overlapped in the PXRD data, retieved data usually provide false cif data. Single crystal diffractive(then retrieved via Olex 2) shall be carried out to obtain the correct CIF data.
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  • For instrumental broadening correction, we use caglioti formula which relates FWHM and diffraction angle (2theta).
  • How can the same instrumental broadening correction be introduced when I am using integral breadth instead of FWHM?
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Concerning the integral breadt: The integral breadth can be treated like the FWHM. For a e.g. pseudo-Voigt (pV) function you can always calculate the integral breadth from the FWHM and the shape parameter of the pV. Then the shape can be described by the ratio of the FWHM and the integral breadth. The formulas have been distributed in some papers by Delhelz and Mittemeijer in the early 1980s which I have cited in J. Appl. Cryst. (2004). 37, 123–135. Note that (i) the separate treatment of Gauss and Lorentz like contibutions to the profile can be treated for convolution in the usual way (quadratic and linear difference), (ii) the treatment in J. Appl. Cryst. (2004). 37, 123–135 takes some detours. (iii) some formulas are only approximate.
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Hi all,
I have an alumina sample in powdered form, and I'm trying to characterize it (the only information I have is that it's alumina). The XRD pattern of this sample is attached.
Below are some of the things that I've noticed but have trouble understanding:
- Is the slope between 0 - 10 degrees normal? If not, how should I solve this issue? For my other crystalline samples I've never observed something like this.
- The peak intensity is less than 200, which seems quite low to me. The background noise also seems quite signficant, but there are still some identifiable peaks between 30 - 70 degrees. I'm therefore having doubt about whether this a good quality XRD pattern that I can use, or is this a bad quality/invalid result?
- Also, is there a possibility for this to be amorphous alumina?
Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.
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Dear Siqi Wang ,
just a few comments:
a) the negative slope of the XRD pattern in the low 2theta range might, to my opinion, be an artifact due to misalingment of the sample height position (you should increase/play around with the height/surface position of the sample).
b) the sample surface seems to be very rough, which will cause 'height' issues and thus will contribute to the uncertainty of theta (giving rise to peak broadening); your powder particles may be too large....
c) with respect to the quite 'low' signal; the amount of material may be too low; what is your estimated thickness?
Best regards
G.M.
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I have synthesized convert graphite to graphene oxide(GO) and then GO to reduced graphene oxide(rGO) using the modified Hummer method. During PXRD characterization I found that GO XRD peak comes very intense, sharp but rGO XRD peak comes weak, less intense and broad. Why?
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The rGO materials are more amorphous type. This is why the PXRD become broad.
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Here is commercial TiO2 (Rutile sample) , I am facing a problem fitting 110 reflection peak as its quite relative intensity in MAUD software. I have used some guidance that was provided by a few tutorials but that is not working to fit.
I have done modifications in texture, I have selected E-WIMV as well, and adjusted PHI as well but still was not resolved.
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First try LeBail fitting, it will help a lot in answering your query. Is it giving good fit to XRD data or not?
You asked "Secondly, in microstructure fitting there are lots of models, which model we can choose on what factors are by seeing the pattern is that any specific literature available". If your peak profile is isotropic in nature then you may skip this (if not interested in microstructure i.e. size-strain contribution).
Only when peak shapes are anisotropic, then particular model is required. For anisotropic peak broadening due to microstrain there are only a few models depending upon crystal systems: Please see table 1 of Stephen's paper (majority Rietveld software used this model):
If anisotropy is due to size effect, choose model accordingly. First confirm it that anisotropic peak profiles are present or not in your sample, then decide.
Choose Ti & O positions from literature and keep thermal parameter isotropic (in majority cases isotropic thermal parameters are sufficient).
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I have the experimental PXRD of the above mentioned COF.
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In order to get a simulated powder pattern, you need to have a CIF file of the crystal structure, and use softwares that can calculate a pattern based on the structure, like Mercury or Vesta. Do you already have a CIF file of your structure?
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Is it possible to have different relative peak intensities in the xrd patterns of a sample taken with two different instruments and consequently with two different operators?And how is it possible?
Shouldn't the relative intensity be independent of the instrument conditions?
Thanks in advance for your helps
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Make 2 intensity ratios of the same number of samples. For each, determine the mean intensity ratio and its standard deviation. The one with a small standard deviation will be the best. This is the usual statistics of measurements of various quantities.
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I am attempting to perform XRD analysis on the 21R Sialon polytype, by seeing how much aluminium nitride is within each sample. Although, I cannot perform Rietveld refinements on this as I have no XRD data for pure 21R. I have been unable to find any data through research.
What data do I need to perform this task, and is it possible to perform Rietveld calculations if it does not exist within my Match database.
I am using Match! to attempt to perform these calculations.
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Yes I do, although onsite we do not have access too MS or XRF equipment, just XRD analysis. Appreciate the help!
Regards,
Luke
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I have prepared solid sol by taking 14 mol% Ytterbium in Titania. I know the Yb3+(0.860 Angstrom) radii is quite large compare to Ti4+(0.605 Angstrom). I did not observed any peak shift when I compared the XRD with undoped titania.
I general statement if doping occurs with larger radii with bigger ion than we observed peak shift in lower 2theta.
So, does It means no doping occurs?
My prepared titania is not highly crystalline material with composition of two pahse anatse and bronze.
I also observed seperate Yb2O3 XRD peaks which clears there is formation of seperate phase but when I refined the parameter of my volume of anatase and Bronze phase it shrinks.
Although Bronze phase is quite open structure with voids.
What could be reason for the lattice parameter to get reduce where is the possibilty of Yb can be in lattice so no such peak shift and lattice parameter varied without peak shift.
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You don't say anything about the thermal treatment you applied to your sample. If it was heated just enough to form metastable, less dense phases then these may show more tolerance toward large ion size ratios and therefore to solid solution (doping). Note that if your structure has a lot of voids - created by water evaporation and incompletely collapsed by heating - then there will be room for larger ions without a large change in lattice parameters.
Also, was the thermal treatment under inert gas or vacuum? If so you'd expect to lose some oxygen, forming an oxygen-deficient Ti oxide phase with some Ti(3+) present. These "Magnelli" phases look quite similar to TiO2 in XRD. Some Yb(3+) may more easily find room in such a structure because Ti(3+) is larger than Ti(4+). But - if this reduction happens your sample should have turned blue or black, which you should easily see (or rule out) using your non-X-ray eyes.
However, there are other things that can happen in this system. In particular, Yb2O3 is a basic oxide, while TiO2 is an acidic one. You would expect them to react with each other and form stable (congruently melting) compounds. I didn't find a phase diagram for this system, but did for the Y2O3-TiO2, which must be very similar. Sure enough, there is a congruently melting compound, Y2Ti2O7. The phase diagram can be found in
The analogous ytterbium compound, Yb2Ti2O7, is well known (CAS # 12037-03-5). If most of your Yb is in such a phase, you may miss it in XRD because (1) there isn't much of it and (2) you are not looking for its small peaks.
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My group start some research on the development of new biodegradable nanoparticles based zinc. We where intersted to observe that based powder X-ray diffraction analysis, it was almost no differences between the Zn oxide and the Zn hydroxide.
What is key to differentiate between both following your experiences based powder X-ray diffraction analysis!
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François Eya'ane Meva The XRD patterns for ZnO (zincite is the mineral form) and Zn(OH)2 (3 forms wülfingite (orthorhombic), ashoverite and sweetite (both tetragonal)). A simple Google search of the mineralogical databases should pick up the XRD patterns. For example, wülfingite, from the Handbook of Mineralogy. I attach the page.
In aqueous based systems, Zn(OH)x where x is nominally 2 will always be formed first and ZnO formed on calcination. This is true of many metal oxide 'nanomaterials' (e.g. TiO2) found in the literature.
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Hello,
Does anybody know whether any polymorphic form (other than form A) of fluoxetine hydrochloride exist?
If yes, could you please provide reference?
Thanks,
Antonio
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I've found some clues from your discussion....thank you, Mr. Antonio Salituro & Mr. Adeyinka Aina
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pXRD measurements of my nanomaterial showed that the peak intensity (minor/no shifting) changed with change in pH. The nanomaterial was dispersed in water and the measurements were performed at pH 6, 8, 10 and 12 (the concentration was same). The measurement conditions were kept identical.
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Gerhard Martens A stable colloidal dispersion won't settle. If it does, then Stokes' Law tells you it's not 'nano' (< 100 nm by ASTM and ISO definitions). The usual problem is low counts. Without knowledge of the chemistry of the system then it's difficult to decide what's going. For example, low pH's will cause dissolution and higher pH's may cause hydroxide precipitation. Thus, the entire game changes and we're dealing with a new system.
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I have an XRD pattern of valleriite. This mineral consist of brucite (P-3m1) and nukundamite (R-3m) layers. The layers are not "fit" perfectly, so the pattern repeats after ~21 brucite unit cells or 17 nukundamite unit cells in layer ("a" lattice constant). I have constructed this structure in VESTA combining 2 different phases. But the supercell seems too big for a direct Rietveld refinement in TOPAS.
I can refine my XRD using brucite-like and nukundamite-like phases separately, but reflections (0 0 l) are less intensive than it should be.
Are there any possibility to take into account the (0 0 l) reflections in TOPAS or refine less complicated and big hybrid structure with shift between brucite and nukundamite layers? Or is there any software what can refine this kind of structures?
Thank you for your answers.
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Hi Denis,
maybe look into FAULTS (part of the FullProf Suite). You can use it to simulate and refine layered structures with disordered layer sequence. You will need to define the different layers occurring in your material, the transition vectors from each layer to every other layer and the corresponding probabilities for each transition vector.
You will need to come up with a clever way to define the layers and transition vectors, but I think FAULTS should work here.
Cheers,
Jan
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Can we measure Herman’s orientation factor (H) in PXRD instrument? If it is possible then how to measure it? Please suggest.
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Thanks Gerhard Martens.
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I found maximum publications related to the electron distribution are done by the maximum-entropy method (MEM) through Rietan-FP software. But the Rietveld refinement using FullProf is also able to do the electron density mapping through GFourier technique.
Hence, I would like to know, if someone calculates electron density mapping from GFourier (FullProf.), then will it be acceptable for publication in a good journal? If so, please share some published articles related to the electron density mapping from GFourier/FullProf for references.
Hope you will share your valuable thoughts & discussion. Thank you all in advance.
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Obviously, Yes ! the EDM obtained by using FullProf suite software are acceptable for the publication. You can also follow my article.
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Williamson-Hall methods is used to find crystallite size and micro strain of milled powder. However in the case of iron powder, the line broadening is not a monotonous function of diffraction angle. Due to this, the W-H plot of milled iron powders gives scattered points corresponding to each reflection plane and it is difficult to draw a best linear fit line with these points. So how can I calculate micro strain developed into iron powder due to ball milling?
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Thanks
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I have a .cif file of a C3S-M1 structure and I need to see its Powder Diffraction Pattern. Does someone know if it is possible to do this?
Thanks
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you should use a kind of refinement to compare the sample with the standard cif file. you can use one of the refinement software like fullprof, match, maud, etc.
but you should first of all use software like highexpert or match to find the best material codes that are relevant to your sample.
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Hi everyone,
In the Rietveld refinement of mixtures, topas gives by default the percentage content of each phase on the graphics window without any standard error. How can I get the standard error for that? I'm using input files.
Thank you for your answer in advance!
Jamal
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Below is the option to see the error/s.d. in Topas v6, as Marcella Bini pointed out.
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Hello all,
I’m fairly new at XRD analysis. Recently I tried to perform Rietveld refinement of newly synthetized spinel-based material using FullProf software .
The material that was obtained by me (magnetite analog) was analyzed by XRD. Diffractograms (peak positions and intensity) were quite similar for those I could find in the literature for such materials.
But when I tried to perform the Rietveld refinement on Fullprof using data from the literature, I couldn’t obtain a theoretical diffractogram that could fit into the measured one.
I tried to import CIF file into Fullproff and Vesta and, while Vesta is displaying values of site occupancy factor for all atoms as 1, occupancy factors in Fullprof have fractional values. (attached screenshot)
As far as I see, Fullprof is using Wyckoff positions form CIF to calculate occupancy factors featured in program.
So, I have another question. How I can calculate occupancy factors knowing Wyckoff positions, in a way this program is doing it?
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Fullprof will not take into account site multiplicity/wyckoff position and will display directly the values of the occupancy (it is easier to manage the refinement this way).
Vesta and most of the software used to display structure will "normalize" the crystallographic informations using site multiplicity/wyckoff position (here 8a, 16d, 32e). The ratio between these multiplicity are the same as the ratio between your occupancy on Fullprof. (32/16 = 2; 0.16667/0.08333 = 2) (32/8 = 4; 0.16667/0.04167 = 4)
By default on fullprof, the 1.0 occupancy is fixed for the highest "theoretical" possible multiplicity in this space group, which is 192 for your Fd-3m space group. A 32e site have then a (1/192*32 = 0.166667 occupancy on Fullprof).
You can use this website for wyckoff position and multiplicity : https://www.cryst.ehu.es/cryst/get_wp.html
It is recommended to put the site with the highest multiplicity on top on Fullprof (here your oxygen), as you can face some error in conversion sometimes.
Hope it helps,
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Hello friends, recently I saw GSAS II can do Rietveld refinement and it's free. I wanted to ask, can it do phase quantification to tell how much of each phase is in the XRD data? Can it load multiple CIF files to do refinement? is there also other free, open-source software out there that can do these functions?
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As always, thank you Gustavo Henrique de Magalhães Gomes, for such a detailed information, and all other researchers, these answers are very insightful.
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I have resolved several aromatic compounds' absolute structures in single-crystal x-ray, and all of them showed cofacial/slipped close-packing/stacking of the aromatic rings.
Later, I used VESTA to visualize the PXRD spectra, hoping to grab a quantitative value for the d-spacing of the close-packed aromatic rings:
1. Generate PXRD spectrum from single crystal .cif data in VESTA.
2. From the PXRD list, I identify the (hkl) of d-spacing around 3.6~3.1 Ang., with moderate~strong PXRD intensity
3.Visualizing the (hkl) on the absolute structures and confirm the miller plane is parallel/overlapping with planar aromatic molecules.
The d-spacing I have identified in my compounds were as small as 3.14, 3.15, 3.20, etc. The values seem quite small compared to those reported ones, 3.3~3.6. I want to confirm if my way of grabbing d-spacing is correct?
Thanks in advance.
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To Jan P Scheifers:
Thanks for the suggestion on calculating interplanar spacing.
I guess calculating d-d from XRD could be a reason why they are slightly smaller than the reported ones.
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Which will be the best way to characterize MOF? Is P-XRD useful to identify MOF? MOF peak should come before 10 in XRD pattern?
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Single crystal diffraction is the gold standard for characterizing MOF(if you have single crystal)
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I need the following reference pattern files for XRD analysis. Where can i find them?
Reference Pattern = 96-210-1125
Reference Pattern = 01-074-2329
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Also check please the following useful link: https://tachantauclar.tistory.com/m/14
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I want to create CIF file for polycrystalline samples.
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For the answer to your question, read the conversation of the question linked bellow. I hope you will get an idea about it..
Good wishes
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Can anyone share (or DOI of research article) a X- ray diffractogram with proper phases (analyzed) of commercially avilable powder Nb2O5 (−325 mesh, 99.9% trace metals basis, Sigma Aldrich). because i have a boubt about calculting phases of Nb2O5 which i used in my study. Highly appreciate your responces.
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Greetings all scientist!!
I would like to know, which is the best software for Rietveld refinement among FullProf vs Rietan FP.
Thank you all for Your wonderful opinions in advance.
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As long as you have reliable CIF file - either software is fine. I personally used TOPAZ
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Hi,
I recently measured XRD of intermediate temperature prepared gamma-alumina and of course got 3 typical peaks (311), (400) and (440) on the pattern (d-spacing by XRD peaks is correct).
However, the positions of the rings in the SAED image seem not to match this XRD pattern. For example, the common d-spacing of (311) is around 0.239 nm (2.39 Ang.) whereas the most closed number of the ring is around 0.225 nm. The numbers of the other two peaks are also slightly lower than common figures.
Or SAED ring of (311) is not obvious, so instead of (311), this ring (0.225 nm) could possibly be (222)? But in this case, peak (222) on XRD is not that obvious.
Is this possible? I wonder if the machine I used has been well-calibrated?
Many thanks.
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I can not give you an exact answer to what is happening. However, I try to answer what could be the reason for the difference between XRD and SAED patterns.
Considering a case of an ideal crystal, the XRD and SAED should give the same interplanar spacing. However, the difference in XRD and SAED patterns can be observed for non-ideal crystals (real samples).
The most apparent reason for the difference could be the fundamental difference in both techniques. SAED probes a very localized region of the sample ( what appears to be a couple of grain or polycrystalline agglomerates) under the microscope.
XRD on the powder or bulk samples, the information is from the coherent diffraction domains or grains, in large numbers (could be easily a billion grains), which includes grains on the surface area, illuminated by the x-ray beam, and some microns inside the surface ( penetration depth of x-ray, a few to 10s of microns, which depends on the material ). Thus, the XRD gives average information of large numbers of grains.
The local (SAED) and global (average information for the large sample volume; XRD) could differ in some cases. I could give you three main reasons and possible solutions to provide more structural information.
1-This could be the case where the sample has two phases (major- which appears in XRD; and minor appearing in SAED). The minor phase could be present in a small weight fraction. Therefore, the XRD signal from the minor phase will be weak and might not appear in XRD. However, if SAED is collected at the region where the minor phase is present (locally), peaks from the minor phase will appear in SAED.
To overcome this, You can collect high-quality XRD data (small steps, large collection time). The minor phase might appear. Alternatively, you can go the other way around and collect many SAED from different sample regions.
Please consider if the minor phase is in a very small weight fraction, below the detection limit (wight << 1%). You even might not see it in the high-quality XRD pattern.
2-It could also be the case that the minor phase is only present on the sample surface (obviously in small weight fraction); if the weight is small, the Bragg peaks for the minor phase will be very weak and might not appear in the XRD pattern, however, if you have performed the SAED only on the Surface region. You will see the minor phase.
To overcome this, you can perform Grazing incident XRD measurement, which is more sensitive to the sample surface. Alternatively, collect SAED from the surface and other regions.
3- It is also possible that some small weight fraction of the material might have preferred orientation or texture, which might not appear in XRD, but might appear in SAED. Especially if SAED is collected on the textured region of the sample.
Same as the last one, the texture will appear in GI-XRD.
If it is indeed (222) peak.
It could be a minor phase in small weight fraction, textured phase, or minor/textured phase on the surface region only. In these cases, it might not appear in XRD but appear in SAED.
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I used the first PANalytical powder XRD to determine the XRD pattern of my samples. my sample is a metal organic framework crystals, the instrument setting as below:
Miniumum step size Omega:0.0001; Scan step time [s]: 96.3900; Divergence Slit Size: 0.2177 degree. Generator settings: 40mA, 40kV.
Unfortunetaly, the first PANalytical powder XRD instrument was broken.
I tried to used the 2nd PANalytical powder XRD instrument and the measurement conditions:
Miniumum step size Phi:0.1; Scan step time [s]: 148.9200; Divergence Slit Size: 0.0573 degree. Generator settings: 40mA, 45kV; Spinning: Yes. The other measurement conditions of the first and second PXRD instrument are same.
The results shows that the overall peak intensity of XRD pattern from 2nd instrument is very weak compare to the first instrument.
Should I change the measurement conditions of the 2nd instrument?
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Dear Xin Ai Wong , as Gerhard Martens already has mentioned, it is the divergence of your primary beam. For the largest Bragg angle you've used and the distance of your tube to the centre of the diffractometer (=240 mm), an aperture of 0.21° will create an illuminated length of about 3 mm (you may easily calculate that from the geometry and using trigonometric functions), while an divergence of only 0.05° will only illuminate about 0.6 mm, so you will loose more than a factor of 5 in intensity ... Is that what you have measured? It would be helpful if you can show experimental data :-)
Best regards, Dirk
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Where can I find XRD central facility for low cost? My neighbouring university charging INR 1500/- per sample. It is too high for me to bear as there are more samples to follow. My parent university doesn't has the facility. Now I have 3 samples only.
Can any one help me in this regard? 
These first three samples are base for my work and based on the results I have to move ahead in my Ph.D.  work.
Any help in this regarding is highly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Vara Prasad
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What are the limitations of the Debye Scherrer formula? Can it be applied to rod-shaped particles?
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you know, that the Scherrer*) equation deals with the crystallite size, but does not deal with with the particle size.
As far as you do not have got single crystalline particles, the shape of your particles (in your case 'rods') does not matter.
Just take the shape constant as about 0,9 and attach an error of about 20 % to 30% and that's it.
Please take in mind that the crystallite size value from the Scherr equation is a rough estimate of the mean of the crystallite sizes, but you sample exhibits a crystallite size distribution....
*) there is no 'Debye Scherrer equation'
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I have been having issues with missing peaks in XRD spectrum of Antigorite (and other serpentines for that matter). The best is to illustrate with an example of Antigorite taken from the RRUFF database and one from COD, see the attached picture. You can see that many peaks are missing in the RRUFF spectrum (top). When I measure my sample, I get a very similar spectrum to the one in the RRUFF database rather the one in COD. Especially the intensity of the peak around 36 deg 2 theta is unusual. I tried the other COD samples with similar result (the one in the plot is sample # 9003103.
Can this be related that RRUFF and mine are powder data while the samples in the COD seem to be single crystal diffraction? Or what would be the reason?
Also, similar issues are with samples from the PDF database and all those samples are marked as low quality.
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Dear Dr Leos Pohl . I agree with
Dr Dalibor Matýsek . He is expertise in XRD.
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Peak values over a broad range of 2theta is obtained. This is to obtain d spacing values for layered silicate in a polymer. Now to find d spacing which value of 2theta should I consider ? What could be the reason for this phenomenon ?
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Muralishwara Kakunje. Unfortunately, your diffraction patterns do not contain definable peaks, so you will not find d values for the nanoclay. There are two ways why this is so. Option 1 is that there was too little clay on the holder (and it was measured on the glass). The diffraction patterns then correspond to that glass. The second possibility is that the nanoclay is amorphous or nearly amorphous and does not provide measurable diffraction lines. I would see it in combination - little sample on the holder and it was measured on the glass.
The long distance disorder is essentially the same as the almost amorphous state, where order exists in the coordination sphere of the atoms themselves, but the resulting coordination polyhedra are stored chaotically.
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Respected Researches, I was wondering how to draw AA and AB stacking models and their simulated PXrd for Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs). Any recommendation will be highly appreciated. Thanks
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Dear Muhammad Asad sorry to see that your very interesting technical question has not yet received any qualified answers from experts in the field. We are synthetic inorganic chemists, so that I'm certainly not a proven expert here. However, I would like to suggest to you a few potentially useful literature references which might help you in your analysis. Please have a look at the following articles:
Two-dimensional Covalent Organic Frameworks as Platforms for Renewable Energy and Environmental Application
This is a freely accessible PhD thesis which containT a good introduction to the field (please see attached pdf file). Also please check:
Semiconducting 2D Triazine-Cored Covalent Organic Frameworks with Unsubstituted Olefin Linkages
This article has been posted by the authors as public full text on RG, so that you can freely download it as pdf file. The following paper also seems to be quite interesting:
Building a Consistent and Reproducible Database for Adsorption Evaluation in Covalent–Organic Frameworks
This paper is not accessible as public full text. However, three of the authors have RG profiles, so that you can easily contact one of them directly via RG and request the full text. Most often authors respond quite rapidly to such fulld text requests.
I hope this helps. Good luck with your work and best wishes, Frank Edelmann
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While doing profile matching in full prof chi-square value is stuck at 12. When I try to refine u,v,w parameters their value reaches up to 38. What might be the possible reasons for the non-refinement of these parameters?
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Typically chi^2 is expected to decrease upon refining further parameters, if the refinement is well-behaved. As chi^2 increases, this suggests that the refinement is NOT well behaved at that point. This suggests high correlation of the refined paramaters push the refinement into a direction where everything is even poorer (you should see than in the visible quality of the fit, which should get poorer.). It is typically a sign for high correlation of the refined parameters, which can well be for uvw. This is in particular the case, if other parameters are being refined which do the same on the calculated profile as uvw. This depends, of course, on the details of you profile function and its refined parameters, and the history of your refinement. Based on this, and in view of the quality of your refinement do YOU have the feeling that you should touch u, v, w? I do not mean chi^2 (The way how people deal with their counting statistics frequently makes this number meaningless, unfortunately), but I refer to the agreement between observed and calculated profile!
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Can we predict/explain fluorescence behavior (conventional steady-state fluorescence spectra) of a material like quantum dot, perovskite, etc. from its pXRD data? Whether the lattice plane arrangement have a major role in fluorescence behavior of these type of materials?
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Dear Dr Saptarshi Mandal . See the following useful RG link:
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I measured PXRD pattern of thin film.
I saw abnormally high intensity at low diffraction angle (<7.5º) like picture.
For what reason does this phenomenon occur?
What is the solution?
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Dear Son Yl ,
I think it is a height adjustment issue of your set up.
The strong dip at about 4° looks like saturation of the detector.
To my opinion you 'see' the primary x-ray beam between about 4° and about 7°.
Pay attention on the flatness of your sample and a proper height adjustment.
Good luck and
best regards
G.M.
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If the single crystal X ray diffraction did not give the same results of powder X ray diffraction, how we use single crystal X ray diffraction to calculate the unit cell dimensions?
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Well, what's the difference?
Most probably you wouldn't obtain the same result even with the same crystal after taking it off the instrument and remeasuring it in even slightly different orientation, not talking about using another crystal. Powder data are an average from millions of unit cells in millions of orientations, so cell parameters obtained from powder data are often better.
But the differences should be quite small (within 3sigma).
Moreover, cell parameters from the single crystals have often underestimated s.u.'s (some manufacturers have their instrument error models built in the software to obtain more realistic, i.e. larger s.u. values).
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I performed Rietveld Refinement using GSAS - II , the resulting .lst file contains following values:
Final refinement wR = 5.17%
Other residuals: R = 4.21%, R-bkg = 4.86%, wR-bkg = 5.17% wRmin = 4.73%
Can someone explain what do these parameters represent?
I am completely new to this and will highly appreciate any input.
Thank you in advance.
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Thank you so much Dr. Gottschalk.
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The average size of metal complexes is higher using SEM analysis. while XRD analysis shows lower in size; what is the reason behind it.
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The thread that Sourav Roy recommended will get you the answer you need.
In summary of the thread: XRD measures crystallite size which is inherently different from particle size as measured by SEM. In general, particles are multi-crystalline (i.e. having multiple diffracting crystallites) which XRD inherently measures.
Good luck.
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Basically for Ag nanoparticles. 111 is sharp and single but 200 (44.29 and 44.41), 220 (64.45 and 64.62), 311 (77.37 and 77.60) are showing sharp, kind of equal intensity doublets.
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This may be due to CuKalpha1 and CuKalpha2 of your X-ray source. The peak associated with Kalpha2 is smaller (ca. /2) and the separation of the two peaks increases with 2theta. This doublet is only detected when X-ray peaks are narrow. You may have a function in your X-Ray data treatment software that "strips" Kalpha 2
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For example, if someone prepares a powder sample, by ball milling/any technique using two different raw materials, and performs heat treatment to that powder at a specific temperature. Simultaneously he characterizes that powder by X-ray diffraction (XRD) to analyze its phase details.
So, in this case, is it possible to co-exist two different kinds of crystalline structures or two different phases (namely, monoclinic/triclinic or cubic/any other) at the same time for that powder sample??
Thank you for your precious answer in advance.
#XRay_Diffraction #XRD #Crystal_Structure #Crystallinity #Phase_formation
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Hello Abdul,
as mentioned by Premkumar S. this situation is absolutely possible and not uncommon. For another typical example lease have a look at the following interesting article:
Two-phase coexistence in Fe–Ni alloys synthesized by ball milling
The full text of this paper is freely accessible from the internet (please see attached pdf file).
By the way, you can find and access other potentially useful research articles about this topic by searching the "Publications" section of RG for the term "two-phase coexistence":
Good luck with your work!
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Hi all,
I found our group has an "old" XRPD humidity chamber connected to some moisture-control system. The moisture-control system has a sensor that detects the humidity of the air it sends to the chamber, but we would like to be able to check the humidity in the chamber as well to be sure at which RH we run our XRPD.
Does any of you know if/how this is usually done? Is there a reference substance that one can use?
Thanks in advance for your help!
/V
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there are some digital humidity indicators that can be used, once previously calibrated.
Nevertheless, some chemicals may indicate the relative amount of humidity, in a relative precise way. Their use are conditioned to a well thermal treatment before use. It is somehow tricky.
Relative humidity cards indicators are widely used, check the link bellow:
Best regards,
WNM
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I need to perform Residual stress measurement by XRD using sin2 ψ method for SLM components, So what are the inputs (like sample size.....) I should give to the XRD operator, and what outputs I will get from there
Can someone (Those who did the experiment) explain this 🙏🏻🙏🏻, Your answer can help my research.
If possible I will send a direct message to the commentators, to ask more questions in this
Thanks in adavance 🙂
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It is not a good idea for one to introduce residual stress in the material. A residual stress is mainly related to when the processing of material is at a very high temperature. A residual stress can also be in the material when the material contained composition of atoms having different elements, i.e., atoms of more than one element. There are some other ways as well, which one can use to introduce a residual stress in a material. For that, you need to consult the preprint article given at the link. As suggested you in your earlier question, please refer the studies given at links http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.27720.65287& https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-88120/v2
The Best of Luck.
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I am contemplating purchasing this software and would like people's opinion.
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Crystalmaker X is compatible with mac OS and macbooks with the Apple chip.
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For example, in the laboratory, the Ni(II)-Complex was prepared. The tests proved that the complex is octahedral and the coordination number is hexagonal, but when testing the XRD analysis, the complex showed a monoclinic crystal system. Does this contradict the results because it is supposed to appear cubic or hexagonal and its derivatives, not monoclinic
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Dear Hussein, many thanks for sharing this very interesting technical question with other RG members. Although we published at least 1,000+ crystals structures in the past ca. 40 years of chemical research, I'm absolutely not a proven expert in crystallography. However, to the best of my knowledge, there is no direct connection between hybridization and coordination number of a metal complex on the one hand and crystal system and space group on the other hand. Just take cobalt or nickel complexes like yours which are octahedrally coordinated with coordination number six. There are ten thousands or more complexes of this type in the chemical literature, and I'm sure that their structures encompass all crystal systems and space groups.
Also notable in this context is that completely analogous compounds can crystallize in different crystal systems. For a typical example (just one out of many) please have a look at the following interesting article:
Refinement of the crystal structures of Cu3PS4 and Cu3SbS4 and a comment on normal tetrahedral structures
(please see the attached pdf file)
I hope this helps answering your question. Good luck with your research and best wishes, Frank Edelmann
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I have UV spectra of metallic nanoparticles and I want to get DLS data about it using calculations as it's possible
this is due to " I got sizes using SEM, TEM, XRD that are very smaller than obtained of DLS"
I think the DLS is not correct and I want to be sure from UV spectra
How can I make sure of this?
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You say nothing about your metallic nanoparticles, what they are, the route of preparation, or even a simple picture to show that your system is transparent (may be colored e.g. a gold sol) free from turbidity or settling (if so then the system is not nano - < 100 nm)
My translation of 'I think the DLS is not correct' is 'I do not like the (larger) DLS results'. But your question is confused. I read it that you have UV data and want to obtain DLS data from these. You can't convert UV data to DLS data.
Have you actually obtained measurements with DLS? If so you're getting much more information complementary to electron microscopy but you can't compare apples with turnips. What is being measured in both cases is totally different:
  • Number distributions versus intensity (proportional to [volume]2) distributions. One expects number distributions to be considerably smaller than intensity (or volume) distributions. If you have a headache and take an aspirin, do you take 4.5 billion particles or 500 mg? There are billions of small particles but they may not make a significant mass (= value/$) for the total system
  • Many millions or billions of particles are measured simultaneously in the ensemble DLS measurement. Microscopy may examine only a few (selected) particles
  • Incorporation of the protective layer around the metal colloidal particles in the hydrodynamic diameter measured by DLS. With electron microscopy you only measure the electron rich core of the particle ignoring the important surface layer (which governs the stability and the interaction with the environment). The core and the shell are vital properties of the system and useful information (but different) is obtained by comparing the electron microscopy with electron microscopy data
  • Agglomerates and aggregates plus contaminating larger material will be seen in the DLS data. If you have small quantities of these larger 'contaminants' then DLS will see them but you may conveniently) ignore these with electron microscopy
  • Further, XRD (line broadening) does not measure particle size, but crystallite size, so again you're making comparisons that are not valid
I have a bunch of questions for you:
  • Have you measured your system with DLS? If so did you filter all your liquids to 0.02 μm or better? Please provide some results so we can see the magnitude of the difference
  • If yes, then I assume you've verified the performance of the system with the appropriate standard. This removes the instrument from the equation and then you're into an understanding of the techniques issue plus sample preparation
  • How many particles did you examine for electron microscopy? To get a standard error of 1% on the mean you will have needed to examined 10000 particles
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I'm trying to refine LaB6 PXRD data from a Guinier camera in asymmetric transmission configuration to calibrate the instrumental corrections using TOPAS. The emission profile has both Ka1 and Ka2. The doublet structure in the diffractogram is not uniform due to the asymmetric configuration. The incident beam is focused at 45° on the image plate and so the doublets are superimposed in the range from 30 to 60° but above 60° they progressively grow apart (also for angles smaller than 30°). This is a problem in that I cannot introduce such a doublet profile for the entire pattern. I have used two emission profiles, as well as Cu-Ka4 from the TOPAS directories. The fit is far from good on the extremes. Can somebody give me some advise please? How to adopt the doublet structure to the observed pattern?
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two entries, one for each wavelength, as you would do for a phase mixture fitting.
in such a case give separate wavelength in the input experimental section.
Best regards,
WNM
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I measured a fluconazole drug sample and found 2 phases. Then, for the first time, I tried to apply the rietveld refinement method using Match! and got relatively high values for both R bragg factor (9.5) and Chi-square (20.8). The peaks seem to be fitting the 2 phases well in relation to 2-Theta, but as you can see in the graffic, the intensities on some of them are not fitting too well, but even after trying to solve the preferred orientation problem, those values are the ones I got so far. Can someone give me some advice on how to lower them even more and make the model acceptable?
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Theoretically:
From XRD patterns as follows:
Variations in the height of the specimen in its holder, whether increasing or decreasing, cause XRD peaks to change from their original location.
Important and useful pathways are connected to the XRD Curve:
Scherrer’s equation:
Particle Size, D = (0.9 x λ)/ (d cosθ)
λ = 1.54060 Å (in the case of CuKa1) so, 0.9 x λ = 1.38654
Θ = 2θ/2 (in the example = 20/2)
d = the full width at half maximum intensity of the peak (in Rad) – you can calculate it using Origin software.
To convert from angle to rad
Rad = (22 x angle) / (7 x 180) = angle x 0.01746
Example: if d = 0.5 angle (θ)
= (22 x 0.5)/ (7x 180) = 0.00873 rad
Then
Delta=1/D^2
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Hello Everyone, I have carried out the XRD analysis of clay minerals on oriented samples. Now i want to do the semi quantitative analysis as well as calculating the illite crystallinity using the TOPAS software. Can anyone from the research community guide me how to carry out this process on TOPAS. I am new to this software and also i couldn't find any tutorials regarding the semi quantitative analysis of clay minerals of on any platform.
Any guidance would be highly appreciated.
Thanks
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Nobody has an answer, so I'll write some observations. First of all, I would say that the phase analysis of clay minerals is one of the most complicated things that can be devised in mineralogy. Some clay minerals have virtually all the vices a mineral can have. Clay minerals show polytypism (all), often have a slightly or even strongly disordered or turbostratic structure, limited particle size and also display mixed layering too. All this affects not only (semi) quantitative but also qualitative analysis, and without a completely correct phase identification, quantitative analysis is meaningless.
But you can't say that it's not possible at all, it's just extremely complicated and you need to combine more techniques. The results of the Reynold Cup, which was organized by the Clay Minerals Society in the past, also prove that this is realistic.
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I refined the X-ray diffraction pattern by High Score. But I don't lknow to export to get calculated data, example data, Bragg peak position.
Anyone can help me?
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Please open the below link of article (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352830671or http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.27720.65287) which practically explains the structures of different materials; structural analyses of different materials validate new atomic structures; study further discusses that crystalline materials do not require primitive cells in order to explain the structures and the distance between electronic states is relevant rather than the lattice constant; study reveals the preliminary detail of crystallinity, non-crystallinity, porosity, texture and noise factors along with overall characteristics of peaks; study further categorizes the residual and thermal stresses; shift in peak, hkl values, Miller Indices, planes, d-spacing, Bragg diffraction, Scherrer equation, pdf card are also explained in this study. Overall, the study suggests to re-investigate the materials at all scales. (This article is not peer reviewed yet.)
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Dear members, please recommend the best and easy way for structure refinement from a given single crystal or powder x-rays integration peaks.
mean how to refine fully solved structure from X-rays data.
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Dear Shahab Khan,
For powder diffraction data, I would recommend to use Topas, Gsas II, Fullprof or Jana for refinement and exporting.
Topas is very quick and has some advanced Peak profile features, but it is also not free.
If you are new to powder diffraction, you might want to look at Jana and Gsas II as they are free and offer an excellent cookbook and tutorials to get you started. The value of this for the self-learner cannot be overstated. Particularly Gsas offers a convenient way to export your results to a cif-file.
For single crystal diffraction data you are likely looking at refining that with the free shelx-package, possibly with some other convenience software such as shelxle. Olex is another option, possibly more popular nowadays. Those packages all offer functionality to export your results to a cif file.
After you have your cif, you will want to check it for its‘ viability through Checkcif (available online).
Overall the process is quite involved, it is probably best if you can find an expert at your institute to walk you through it.
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After the synthesis of a compound at the mono Crystal form I process by structural determination. I ground the product and passed in XRD powder, when I calculated the distance and the lattice planes with HKLgen (using the cell parameters found for the single crystal), I cannot index my spectrum powder? (I did the same for three other hybrid compounds is always the same).
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Hello all,
I am working on CdSe XRD analysis and I recently lost my JCPDS database CD to get the reference card, I am wondering if someone can help me with JCPDS #77-0021 reference files.
Thanks in advance.
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there is equivalent CIF file for some COD database entry, which is free of charge, and the corresponding JCPDF proprietary database, now CCDC.
Please, check the Chrystallograohic Open Database (COD) website, download the free database and search by several ways, name, IUOAC, chemical formulae for the requested compound file.
Best regards
WNM
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Can I apply this method in general for such objects?
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Vasyl Peter Kladko The Williamson-Hall Plot. W-H plot is used to calculate the crystallite size and microstrain from complex XRD data. That's when both the crystallite size and microstrain vary as a function of the Bragg's angle, we can only calculate these parameters from XRD data using W-H plot. I have provided the practice file (Origin file) as well as the calculation file (Excel file) in the video description. Thanks