X-ray powder diffraction data for two ionic salts containing imidazole (Him) complexes of the magnesium(II) ion, [Mg(Him)4(H2O)2]Cl2 and [Mg(Him)6](NO3)2, are reported. Their crystal and molecular structures were determined by simulated annealing and full-profile Rietveld refinement methods. [Mg(Him)4(H2O)2]Cl2 was found to crystallize in the monoclinic system with space group C2/c, a=12.3980(3) Å, b=11.0234(2) Å, c=14.4691(3) Å, and β=107.024(1)°. [Mg(Him)6](NO3)2 crystallizes in the trigonal R-3 space group with a=b=12.4631(4) Å and c=14.9449(6)Å. Both species contain centrosymmetric complexes, and Mg is octahedrally coordinated by six imidazoles, as in [Mg(Him)6](NO3)2, or by four imidazoles and two water molecules, as in [Mg(Him)4(H2O)2]Cl2. Additional analytic, thermogravimetric, calorimetric, and spectroscopic characterizations were also performed.

Amino acids often cocrystallize with water molecules, which make them pseudopolymorphs of their anhydrous forms. In this work, we discuss in detail the hydrogen bond patterns in anhydrous L-proline and DL-proline and its pseudopolymorphic forms: L-proline monohydrate and DL-proline monohydrate. For this propose, the crystal structure of L-proline anhydrous was determined from synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data and refined using the Rietveld method. Special emphasis is given to the role played by the water molecule in the hydrogen bond network observed in the crystalline structures.

X-ray powder diffraction data for ErH2−xDx formed by hydrogen (i.e., protium)–deuterium loading of Er metal are reported. Lattice parameters for the varying hydrogen–deuterium compositions followed Vergard’s law behavior. The cubic lattice parameter at room temperature for ErH2−xDx obeys a linear relationship according to the formula a=5.1287−1.1120×10−4⋅x, where a is the lattice parameter of the fluorite-type structure and x is the mole percent of deuterium. Microstrain measurements suggest a possible ordering of hydrogen and deuterium in the composition ErH1D1.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) certifies a variety of standard reference materials (SRM) to address specific aspects of instrument performance for divergent beam diffractometers. This paper describes SRM 640d, the fifth generation of this powder diffraction SRM, which is certified with respect to the lattice parameter. It consists of approximately 7.5 g silicon powder specially prepared to produce strain-free particles in a size range between 1 and 10 μm to eliminate size-broadening effects. It is typically used for calibrating powder diffractometers for the line position and line shape. A NIST built diffractometer, incorporating many advanced design features, was used to certify the lattice parameter of the silicon powder measured at 22.5 °C. Both type A, statistical, and type B, systematic, errors have been assigned to yield a certified value for the lattice parameter of a=0.543 159±0.000 020 nm.

A new nickel zinc chromate with the composition of (NH4OH)3/2NiZn2Cr2O9⋅2H2O was synthesized by hydrothermal method. The compound was characterized by XRD, TGA, and XRF. X-ray powder diffraction data show that the crystal system of the title compound is hexagonal with space group R-3m, z=3, and unit-cell parameters: a=5.9794 and c=21.4875 Å.

Compound from the solid-solution NdSrNi1−xCrxO4−δ, 0≤x≤1, has been prepared using conventional solid-state method and was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction. The NdSrNi0.5Cr0.5O4−δ sample shows the adoption of the K2NiF4-type structure based on the tolerance factor calculation. X-ray diffraction analysis using the Rietveld method was carried out and it was found that NdSrNi0.5Cr0.5O4−δ compound crystallizes in tetragonal symmetry with space group I4/mmm. The lattice parameters are found to be at room temperature, a=3.8012(3) Å and c=12.4812(1) Å. For X-ray diffraction data, the reliability factors are RB=0.034, Rwp=0.089, , and χ2=1.17. Bond-valence sum calculations were performed for nickel and chromium. The changes in unit-cell parameters are discussed in terms of oxygen stoichiometry and transition metal (3d) oxidation state from the perspective of the Brown bond-valence sum calculation theory.

Please note the copyright statement should read: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, [2010]. © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, [2010].

A useful procedure is described to rapidly obtain Bragg-reflection intensities from the FULLPROF suite, and the Bragg intensities can then be input into the GEST and the PECKCRYST programs for crystal-structure determination of small molecules. An example on using the new procedure for the structure determination from powder diffraction determination of hydrochlorothiazide (C7H8ClN3O4S2) is presented, and the powder-structure results obtained by the PECKCRYST program are in good agreement with previously reported single-crystal results.

Lead poisoning is a preventable condition caused by exposure to environmental sources such as lead-containing dust or lead-painted consumer products. The history of lead poisoning prevention has been defined to some extent by the quality of the analytical methods available for lead measurements whether in environmental samples or biological tissues and fluids. The quality of blood lead methods has improved so greatly over the last three decades that we now know far more about the adverse health effects from low-level exposures. Recent evidence suggests that effects such as deficit in IQ occur below the current (periodically revised) U.S. CDC threshold of 10 μg/dL, such that no safe threshold appears to exist for children. Improvements in analytical techniques have also had an impact on the environmental measurement quality, yet many environmental thresholds have remained unchanged for decades. In light of our current understanding of the adverse health effects at low levels of exposure, new thresholds for lead in children’s products have been introduced by the U.S. CPSC. The adequacy of current analytical techniques to detect lead accurately at the new, lower thresholds is questionable. XRF offers the advantage of being rapid and nondestructive compared to techniques such as AAS that require extensive sample preparation. However, the accuracy of handheld XRF determinations of lead in painted toys is generally limited. A brief comparative study on the performance of several analytical techniques for the determination of lead in toys is presented at the end of this paper.

The nucleation of dislocations at indents in silicon following rapid thermal annealing (RTA) has been examined by X-ray diffraction imaging (topography). For indentation loads below 200 mN, no slip bands were generated from the indent sites following RTA at 1000 °C under spike conditions. Upon plateau annealing at 1000 °C, slip dislocations were propagated from some indents but not all. Slip was also observed from edge defects not associated with indentation. For 500-mN indentation load, large scale dislocation sources were generated from the indent sites propagating on two of the four {111} slip planes. These dislocations multiplied into macroscopic-scale slip bands. A significant change in morphology was observed in the 60° dislocation segments after the screw segment reached the rear surface of the wafer. Dislocations changed line direction and in some cases appeared to leave the Peierls trough during glide.

The results from a third structure determination by powder diffractometry (SDPD) round robin are discussed. From the 175 potential participants having downloaded the powder data, nine sent a total of 12 solutions (8 and 4 for samples 1 and 2, respectively, a tetrahydrated calcium tartrate and a lanthanum tungstate). Participants used seven different computer programs for structure solution (ESPOIR, EXPO, FOX, PSSP, SHELXS, SUPERFLIP, and TOPAS), applying Patterson, direct methods, direct space methods, and charge flipping approach. It is concluded that solving a structure from powder data remains a challenge, at least one order of magnitude more difficult than solving a problem with similar complexity from single-crystal data. Nevertheless, a few more steps in the direction of increasing the SDPD rate of success were accomplished since the two previous round robins: this time, not only the computer program developers were successful but also some users. No result was obtained from crystal structure prediction experts.