Size almost doesn't matter

A team of researchers has developed a new microdiffraction technique for solving the problem of analyzing structural characteristics of small single crystals. The new method also enabled researchers overcome the problem of analyzing structural characteristics of large complex single crystals, such as aluminum-based metal-organic frameworks (MOF). The new microdiffraction technique enables diffraction of single crystals, re;presents a significant advancement in X-ray diffraction process. The single-crystal data collected on a small crystal, along with data from computational and simulations and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, enabled researchers to accurately determine structural characteristics of these single-crystal phases. The results show that structural characteristics of large single-crystals can be accurately analyzed, creating a potential for discovering new materials.