The Laboratório de Cristalografia e Caracterização Estrutural de Materiais (LCCEM), under the management of Prof. Fabio Furlan Ferreira at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), Brazil, has enhanced its already excellent facilities for powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). The laboratory, known for its structural characterization of crystalline, nanocrystalline, and amorphous materials at room temperature and for in situ experiments (up to 1773 K and soon, as low as 80 K), has recently acquired a new STOE STADI P diffractometer.
Previously, the LCCEM was equipped with two STOE STADI P powder X-ray diffractometers operating in transmission mode with CuKα1 (λ = 1.54056 Å) and MoKα1 (λ = 0.7093 Å) radiation. These diffractometers utilized curved Ge(111) monochromators and linear (microstrip) solid-state Mythen 1K detectors, offering high instrumental resolution and very short data collection times—on the order of a few minutes.
The latest addition to the PXRD capabilities at LCCEM is another STOE STADI P diffractometer. This new instrument, however, uses AgKα1 (λ = 0.5594 Å) radiation and features a wide aperture multi-module Mythen2 4K detector. This setup is specifically designed for pair distribution function (PDF) analysis, enhancing the laboratory’s ability to investigate the local structure of materials in more detail.
This four-fold Mythen detector setup is ideal for Pair Distribution Function (PDF) analysis for several reasons:
1. Wide Angular Coverage: The multi-module Mythen detector can cover a wide range of angles simultaneously. This broad coverage is crucial for PDF analysis and drastically reduces the measurement time.
2. High Resolution: Mythen detectors provide high-resolution data. This high resolution helps in distinguishing fine details in the patterns, which is essential for precise PDF analysis.
3. Low Background Noise: The advanced technology in Mythen detectors results in low background noise, which improves the signal-to-noise ratio. This is important for PDF analysis, where detecting subtle signals from the diffuse coherent scattering is necessary to model the local atomic structure.
4. Versatility in Radiation Sources: The setup is compatible with various radiation sources (like AgKα1 in this case), which can be advantageous for different types of samples and experimental conditions, providing flexibility in the types of materials that can be analyzed.
Overall, the four-fold Mythen setup’s combination of wide angular coverage, high resolution, fast data collection, and low background noise makes it an excellent choice for conducting detailed and accurate PDF analysis. Please find more details on the setup here:
STOE MULTI-MYTHEN DETECTOR SETUP
