Optics for small molecule crystallography
Sometimes referred to as chemical crystallography, this technique employs single crystal X-ray diffraction (SXRD) to unambiguously determine the three dimensional structure of small molecules. Typically Mo Ka radiation is employed as the X-ray source for this work.
Rigaku was the first to develop significant technological improvements in optics for Mo-Kα radiation with the introduction of Confocal Max-Flux® (CMF) optics for Mo-Kα radiation. Advantages of Confocal Max-Flux Optics for small molecule crystallography include: easy alignment taking 10 minutes or less, increased flux of up to 10X over conventional sealed tube systems, improved signal-to-noise through the elimination of unwanted radiation (such as the Mo Kβ lines and white radiation), a very symmetric beam, and increased throughput through decreasing counting times.
VariMax™ Mo, the latest generation of Confocal Max-Flux optics for small molecule crystallography, is a landmark of innovative design and functionality. Featuring quickly adjustable resolution, the VariMax Mo Confocal Max-Flux optic, when mated to a high brilliance MicroMax™-007 HF X-ray generator, provide much more usable X-ray flux than conventional sources used in SXRD.
Sealed-tube sources for small molecule applications benefit from replacement of the
graphite monochromator with the SHINE optic. The SHINE is a simple drop-in replacement for the monochromator and offers up to
a three-fold increase in flux.
Please contact Rigaku to request a copy of the available application notes for small molecule crystallography.