The 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Dr. Joachim Frank of Columbia University, Dr. Jacques Dubochet of Lausanne University and Dr. Richard Henderson of MRC Molecular Biology Institute for “developing cryo-electron microscopy for the high-resolution structure determination of biomolecules in solution”.
High-resolution atomic level structural analysis of proteins is essential for understanding life and for identifying...
In characterizing multi-component materials, constituent crystalline phases are first identified, and their relative abundances are quantified, in general, as a second step. Techniques of quantitative phase analysis (QPA) using the X-ray powder diffraction method have been used widely for materials characterization in research and development as well as in quality control of industrial products. Various techniques for...
Yukiko Namatame, Takahiro Kuzumaki, Yuji Shiramata and Keigo Nagao
In powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, the measurement mode (0D, 1D, 2D) and optical system are selected to suit the state of the sample and the purpose of the experiment. Until about 10 years ago, the typical approach was a 0D measurement using a scintillation counter (SC) combined with the Bragg-Brentano focusing method (BB optical system) or...
The principle of single crystal X-ray structure analysis is the same for organic/inorganic materials and proteins. However, although the steps of structural analysis are the same, there are major differences in the method of executing each step between structural analysis of small molecules and proteins. One of the steps where there is a major difference is...
The fusion method and the pressed powder method are well-known and typical sample preparation techniques in X-ray fluorescence analysis of powder samples. In the fusion method, a sample is fused with some alkali borate flux at high temperature to make a glass bead. The method allows more accurate analysis because it provides a substantially homogeneous sample specimen...
Sample preparation by liquid and droplet methods have been discussed in the previous installment of “Sample preparation for XRF analysis”. In this issue, a novel preparation method by which liquid samples are solidified is described. Solidifying samples such as lubricating oils allows measurement to be performed in vacuum instead of helium and without the need of sample...
In straightforward terms, the XtaLAB Synergy-DW diffractometer combines the increased flux of a rotating anode source with the flexibility of two different wavelengths, making it ideal for laboratories exploring a wide range of crystallographic research interests. The system is based on Rigaku’s proven, low-maintenance MicroMax-007HF microfocus rotating anode. The target is constructed with two different source materials...
The MiniFlex series has a 40-year legacy, and the MiniFlex benchtop X-ray diffractometer presented here is the latest model of this series. It is now possible to use MiniFlex with the HyPix 2D detector, an option previously available only for high-end models. This is a benchtop X-ray diffractometer, yet it still enables easy 2D measurement.
Thermal analysis instruments are used in a variety of fields of specialization, such as in new materials development, product evaluation, or quality control where the reaction temperature or reaction energy derived from the melting of a material can be measured easily. Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) is an analytical tool that detects the change in thermal energy generated...
The physical and chemical properties of a crystalline solid depend heavily on the conformations of the molecules and the arrangement of atoms and molecules, that is, the “crystal structure”, as well as on the composing elements and molecular structures. The single crystal structure analysis technique is used in many fields as a good tool to precisely...
Kazuhiko Omote, Tomoyuki Iwata, Yoshihiro Takeda and Joseph D. Ferrara
It is well known that X-rays have wavelengths comparable with interatomic distances and can be utilized for atomic-scale structural determination. In addition, X-rays can penetrate through opaque objects and show the internal structure without destroying the object. It is for these reasons that X-rays are widely used for atomic-scale structural analysis of various kinds of crystals including...
Single crystal X-ray analysis of proteins involves many hurdles to be overcome, including protein expression, crystallization, data collection and phase determination. Advanced radiation facilities, innovative detector systems, laboratory systems with high-intensity X-ray sources and newly developed software have drastically expanded the range of crystals that can be analyzed. Despite such improvements, there are still some hurdles to be...
X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) is an elemental quantification analysis method for inorganic and metallic compounds. Sample preparation is simple and does not require solid samples to be dissolved, as is necessary for wet chemical analysis techniques. The fundamental parameter (FP) method implements quantitative analysis without type standards. The XRF technique has been widely accepted not only for...
Figure 1 shows typical sample preparation methods for X-ray fluorescence analysis. In general, the shadowed methods are the most popular. Quality control analysis, which requires high precision, normally requires large samples as much as 20 mm–30 mm in diameter. However, in many cases it is difficult to prepare samples large enough or in sufficient quantity for R&D...
SmartLab SE, which includes a semiconductor detector as a “standard” component, is Rigaku’s newest automated multipurpose X-ray diffractometer system. Customers can select either the “2D” or the “1D” version of this system. If customers select the “2D” model, they can easily determine the degree of preferred orientation and coarse grain size effects from the shape of Debye-Scherrer...
SmartLab Studio II is an integrated X-ray diffraction software package for making both measurements and analyses using SmartLab, an automated multipurpose X-ray diffractometer. Two years ago(1), the user guidance feature, flow bars, chart control, report manager, SQL database*1, and plugin modules were introduced. Now we would like to announce several new features of SmartLab Studio II for...