X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques allow for the non-destructive structural characterization of materials. Their use covers a large number of disciplines including Geology, Chemistry, Physics, Material Sciences, Engineering, and Biomedicine.

XRD techniques can be divided according to the nature of the sample:

• Powder X-Ray Diffraction (PXRD)

PXRD analysis provides information about the amorphous or crystalline nature of the sample. Phase identification, and in some cases quantification, may be achieved in microcrystalline materials as well as the crystallite size determination. Therefore, PXRD techniques are widely employed for daily quality control in industrial productions as well as for research insights. Through XRD a large variety of samples can be studied including minerals, bulk materials, thin films, polymers, nano- and meso-structured materials.

• Single Crystal X-Ray Diffraction (SC-XRD)

SC-XRD also referred to as X-ray Crystallography, is one of the most powerful tools for the structural characterization of organic, inorganic, and metallorganic materials.

Although the growth of suitable crystals for SC-XRD may be complex in some cases, it is for sure the most widely employed approach to obtain a detailed structural characterization of a sample. Crystallography is essential in the study of brand-new materials for both fundamental as well as applied research to establish structure-property relationships as in the cases of sensors, catalysts, bio- and optically-active materials.

Our XRD facility offers the following services:

• Powder X-Ray Diffraction (PXRD)
• Single Crystal X-Ray Diffraction (SC-XRD)

For further information about our XRD services, please contact: cesar@unica.it

Dr. Enrico Podda

phone: +39 070 675 6917, email: enrico.podda@unica.it