Coherent neutron scattering analysis of alkane dynamical disorder inside nanoporous urea intergrowth crystals

In nanoporous organic intergrowth crystals, guest molecules are confined to narrow channels created by the host sublattice. Such crystals present coherent diffuse scattering, well localised in the reciprocal space, which reflects the translational and rotational disorder of the guest molecules inside the channels. Combining thermal neutron triple axis and high energy resolution cold neutron time-of-flight spectrometers, we report geometrical and dynamical information on the rotational motions of the alkane molecules in the urea sublattice. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.