Events @ Warwick Chemistry
3D Electron Diffraction Methods for Crystal Structure Determination - From Materials to Proteins
Dr Hongyi Xu, Stockholm University
Knowing the 3D atomic structures of materials or biomolecules is crucial for understanding their functions. X-ray diffraction is currently the most important technique for determination of 3D atomic structures, but requires large crystals which are often difficult to obtain. Electrons, similar to X-rays and neutrons, are powerful source for diffraction experiments. Due to the strong interactions between electrons and matter, crystals that are considered as powder in X-ray crystallography can be treated as single crystals by 3D electron diffraction methods. This enables structure determination of materials and organic molecules from micron- to nanometer-sized 3D crystals that are too small for conventional X-ray diffraction. Furthermore, by taking the advantages of the unique properties of electron scattering, it is possible to determine the charge states of atoms/ions4 and the absolute structure of chiral crystals.