Laboratory X-ray Powder Diffraction Research Articles

Mix and measure II: joint high-energy laboratory powder diffraction and microtomography for cement hydration studies

Portland cements (PCs) and cement blends are multiphase materials of different fineness, and quantitatively analysing their hydration pathways is very challenging. The dissolution (hydration) of the initial crystalline and amorphous phases must be determined, as well as the formation of labile (such as ettringite), reactive (such as portlandite) and amorphous (such as calcium silicate hydrate gel) components. The microstructural changes with hydration time must also be mapped out. To address this robustly and accurately, an innovative approach is being developed based on in situ measurements of pastes without any sample conditioning. Data are sequentially acquired by Mo Kα1 laboratory X-ray powder diffraction (LXRPD) and microtomography (µCT), where the same volume is scanned with time to reduce variability. Wide capillaries (2 mm in diameter) are key to avoid artefacts, e.g. self-desiccation, and to have excellent particle averaging. This methodology is tested in three cement paste samples: (i) a commercial PC 52.5 R, (ii) a blend of 80 wt% of this PC and 20 wt% quartz, to simulate an addition of supplementary cementitious materials, and (iii) a blend of 80 wt% PC and 20 wt% limestone, to simulate a limestone Portland cement. LXRPD data are acquired at 3 h and 1, 3, 7 and 28 days, and µCT data are collected at 12 h and 1, 3, 7 and 28 days. Later age data can also be easily acquired. In this methodology, the amounts of the crystalline phases are directly obtained from Rietveld analysis and the amorphous phase contents are obtained from mass-balance calculations. From the µCT study, and within the attained spatial resolution, three components (porosity, hydrated products and unhydrated cement particles) are determined. The analyses quantitatively demonstrate the filler effect of quartz and limestone in the hydration of alite and the calcium aluminate phases. Further hydration details are discussed.

Resolving a structural issue in cerium-nickel-based oxide: a single compound or a two-phase system?

CeNiO3 has been reported in the literature in the last few years as a novel LnNiO3 compound with promising applications in different catalytic fields, but its structure has not been correctly reported so far. In this research, CeNiO3 (RB1), CeO2 and NiO have been synthesized in a nanocrystalline form using a modified citrate aqueous sol-gel route. A direct comparison between the equimolar physical mixture (n(CeO2) : n(NiO) = 1 : 1) and compound RB1 was made. Their structural differences were investigated by laboratory powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) detector, and Raman spectroscopy. The surface of the compounds was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), while the thermal behaviour was explored by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Their magnetic properties were also investigated with the aim of exploring the differences between these two compounds. There were clear differences between the physical mixture of CeO2 + NiO and RB1 presented by all of these employed methods. Synchrotron methods, such as atomic pair distribution function analysis (PDF), X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), were used to explore the structure of RB1 in more detail. Three different models for the structural solution of RB1 were proposed. One structural solution proposes that RB1 is a single-phase pyrochlore compound (Ce2Ni2O7) while the other two solutions suggest that RB1 is a two-phase system of either CeO2 + NiO or Ce1-xNixO2 and NiO.

Mix and measure - Combining in situ X-ray powder diffraction and microtomography for accurate hydrating cement studies

It is reported an innovative methodology based on in situ MoKα1 laboratory X-ray powder diffraction (LXRPD) and microtomography (μCT) avoiding any sample conditioning. The pastes are injected in 2.0 mm capillaries and the extremes are just sealed. The measurements take place in the same region of the hydrating paste. Thick capillaries are key to avoiding self-desiccation, which dictates the need of high-energy X-ray radiation for the diffraction study. This approach has been tested with a PC 42.5 R paste having w/c = 0.50. μCT data were collected at 12 h and 1, 3, 7 and 79 days. LXRPD data were acquired at 1, 3, 7 and 77 days. In this proof-of-principle research, the same paste was also cured ex situ. Portlandite contents obtained by thermal analysis, ex situ powder diffraction, in situ mass balance calculation and in situ powder diffraction were 13.8, 13.1, 13.1 and 12.5 wt%, respectively. From the μCT study, the grey value histogram evolution with time showed a crossing point which allowed us to distinguish (appearing) hydrated products from (dissolving) unhydrated cement particles. Segmentations were carried out by global thresholding and the random forest approach (one type of supervised Machine Learning). The comparison of the segmented results for the unhydrated cement fraction and the Rietveld quantitative phase analysis outputs gave an agreement of 2 %. The potential of this methodology to deal with more complex binders is also presented.

Hydrogen bonding patterns and C-H...π interactions in the structure of the antiparkinsonian drug (R)-rasagiline mesylate determined using laboratory and synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data.

The structure of (R)-rasagiline mesylate [(R)-RasH+·Mes-], an active pharmaceutical ingredient used to treat Parkinson's disease, is presented. The structure was determined from laboratory and synchrotron powder diffraction data, refined using the Rietveld method, and validated and optimized using dispersion-corrected DFT calculations. The unit-cell parameters obtained in both experiments are in good agreement and the refinement with both datasets converged to good agreement factors. The final parameters obtained from laboratory data were a = 5.4905 (8), b = 6.536 (2), c = 38.953 (3) Å, V = 1398.0 (4) Å3 and from synchrotron powder data were a = 5.487530 (10) Å, b = 6.528939 (12) Å, c = 38.94313 (9) Å, V = 1395.245 (5) Å3 with Z = 4 and space group P212121. Preferred orientation was properly accounted for using the synchrotron radiation data, leading to a March-Dollase parameter of 1.140 (1) instead of the 0.642 (1) value obtained from laboratory data. In the structure, (R)-RasH+ moieties form layers parallel to the ab plane connected by mesylate ions through N-H...O and C-H...O hydrogen bonds. These layers stack along the c axis and are further connected by C-H...π interactions. Hirshfeld surface analysis and fingerprint plot calculations indicate that the main interactions are: H...H (50.9%), H...C/C...H (27.1%) and H...O/O...H (21.1%).

Laboratory X-ray powder diffraction in the research of painted artworks

Laboratory X-ray powder diffraction in the research of painted artworks

Non-uniform plastic deformation in additive friction stir deposited Ti-6Al-4V

Ti-6Al-4V (Ti-64) material deposited by additive friction stir deposition (AFSD) on a rolled Ti-64 base plate was evaluated. Extracted tensile coupons containing both base plate and AFSD regions showed different stress–strain responses in uniaxial tensile testing with digital image correlation. These differences were rationalized based on microstructure gradients observed by optical microscopy and spatially resolved laboratory X-ray powder diffraction (PXRD). The AFSD regions show characteristic basket weave α-Ti microstructure within the 25–50 μm prior β grains. The base plate shows a globular α+β microstructure typical of the rolled and annealed state. In one sample, plastic strain concentration occurred in the AFSD region where diffraction analysis indicates the 〈hki0〉α-Ti directions were preferentially loaded. In the second sample, strain concentration occurred in the rolled base plate, but the textured domains were smaller than the area probed by PXRD. The control of prior β microstructure using targeted deposition temperature and shear rate and axial stress will be critical to achieving rapid volumetric control for targeted final properties using AFSD with titanium alloys.

Structural Characterization of Pharmaceutical Cocrystals with the Use of Laboratory X-ray Powder Diffraction Patterns

X-ray powder diffraction is a vital analytical tool that is used in pharmaceutical science. It is increasingly used to establish the crystal structure of a new pharmaceutical substance, in particular, cocrystal or its polymorphic forms. This review begins with a brief discussion of the reliability of the structural parameters retrieved from powder patterns. Recent examples of the successful determination of crystal structures of pharmaceutical cocrystals and salts from powder diffraction data are discussed. These examples show the increased capabilities of laboratory X-ray powder diffractometers and modern software in solving actual problems of pharmaceutical science.

Enhanced CO2 sorption properties in a polarizable [WO2F4]2--pillared physisorbent under direct air capture conditions.

We report the CO2 capture properties of an ultramicroporous physisorbent [Ni(WO2F4)(pyrazine)2]n, WO2F4-1-Ni, which crystallizes in I4/mcm (a = 9.91785(6) Å, c = 15.71516(9) Å) and its structure is solved using laboratory X-ray powder diffraction. The WO2F4 anion is acentric with polarizable WO bonds offering unique potential properties within a porous structure. Despite isostructural compounds being previously reported, the effect of this distorted anion on CO2 capture properties has not been studied. In this context, at a 400 ppm partial pressure of CO2 (applicable for direct air capture), this primitive cubic (pcu) network captures 0.934 mmolCO2 gsorbent-1 under dry conditions and 0.685 mmolCO2 gsorbent-1 at 75%RH, the highest capacity for a physisorbent reported to date.

Crystal structure of 2,5-di-hydroxy-terephthalic acid from powder diffraction data.

The crystal structure of anhydrous 2,5-dhy-droxy-terephthalic acid, C8H6O6, was solved and refined using laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data, and optimized using density functional techniques. The published structure of 2,5-di-hydroxy-terephthalic acid dihydrate was also optimized. The carb-oxy-lic acid groups form strong hydrogen bonds, which form centrosymmetric rings with graph set R 2 2(8). These hydrogen bonds link the mol-ecules into chains along [011]. There is an intra-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bond between the hydroxyl group and the carbonyl group of the carb-oxy-lic acid. The hydrogen bonding in the dihydrate is very different. Although the intra-molecular hy-droxy/carb-oxy-lic acid hydrogen bond is present, the water mol-ecule acts as an acceptor to the carb-oxy-lic acid and a donor to two other oxygen atoms. The carb-oxy-lic acid groups do not inter-act with each other directly.

Structures of dicobalt and dinickel 4,4'-bi-phenyldi-carboxyl-ate di-hydroxide, M 2(O2CC6H4C6H4CO2)(OH)2, M = Co and Ni, and di-ammonium 4,4'-bi-phenyldi-carboxyl-ate from powder diffraction data.

The triclinic structures of poly[(μ4-4,4'-bi-phenyldi-carboxyl-ato)di-μ-hydroxido-dicobalt], [Co2(C14H8O4)(OH)2] n , and poly[(μ4-4,4'-bi-phenyldi-carboxyl-ato)di-μ-hydroxido-dinickel], [Ni2(C14H8O4)(OH)2] n , were established using laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data. These structures, as well as that of poly[(μ4-4,4'-bi-phenyldi-carboxyl-ato)di-μ-hydroxido-dimanganese], [Mn2(C14H8O4)(OH)2] n , were optimized using density functional techniques. The structure of di-ammonium 4,4'-bi-phenyldi-carboxyl-ate, 2NH4 +·C14H8O4 2-, was also solved using laboratory powder data. The Mn and Co compounds are isostructural: the octa-hedral MO6 groups share edges to form chains running parallel to the c-axis. These chains share corners (OH groups) to link into layers lying parallel to the bc plane. The hydroxyl groups do not participate in hydrogen bonds. The structure of (NH4)2BPDC consists of alternating layers of BPDC and ammonium ions lying parallel to the ab plane. Each hydrogen atom of the ammonium ions in (NH4)2BPDC participates in a strong N-H⋯O hydrogen bond.

Crystal structure from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data, DFT-D calculations, and Hirshfeld surface analysis of (S)-dapoxetine hydrochloride

The previously unreported crystal structure of (S)-Dapoxetine hydrochloride (DAPHCl), the only active pharmaceutical ingredient specially developed for the treatment of premature ejaculation in men, has been determined from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data with DASH and refined by the Rietveld method with TOPAS-Academic. The structure was evaluated and optimized by dispersion-corrected DFT calculations. This compound crystallizes in an orthorhombic cell, space group P212121, with unit-cell parameters a= 6.3208(3) Å, b = 10.6681(5) Å, c = 28.1754(10) Å, V = 1899.89(14) Å3, Z = 4. The refinement converged to Rp= 0.0442, Rwp= 0.0577, and GoF = 2.440. The crystal structure is a complex 3D arrangement of DAPHCl moieties held together by hydrogen bonds, π⋯π, and C–H⋯π interactions. The chloride ions form layers parallel to the ab plane and are connected by dapoxetinium moieties through N–H⋯Cl and C–H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds. These layers stack along the c-axis, which are connected by C–H⋯π interactions. Hirshfeld surface analysis and fingerprint plot calculations have been performed.

Crystal structure of alfuzosin hydrochloride, C19H28N5O4Cl

The crystal structure of anhydrous alfuzosin hydrochloride has been solved and refined using laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data and optimized using density functional theory techniques. Anhydrous alfuzosin hydrochloride crystallizes in space groupP-1 witha= 9.3214(16),b= 9.3997(29),c= 12.6172(64) Å,α= 107.993(11),β= 100.386(9),γ= 90.229(6)°,V= 1032.1(10) Å3, andZ= 2 at ambient conditions. Thermal expansion is anisotropic, being 8× larger in thec-direction than in the other two. The crystal structure is characterized by a stack of planar fused rings along theb-axis, and layers of the more-corrugated portion of the molecule parallel to theab-plane. There are two strong N–H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds, as well as seven C-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds. The powder patterns have been submitted to ICDD for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File™ (PDF®).

C-S-H seeding activation of Portland and Belite cements: An enlightening in situ synchrotron powder diffraction study

C-S-H seeding in Portland cements is well known from basic scientific works and field applications. Moreover, this activation approach could be beneficial for low-CO2 cements under development where a general drawback is poor mechanical strengths during the first week of hydration. However, a mechanistic understanding of the different processes taking place when seeding is still not developed. Here, we contribute to this knowledge gap by studying one commercial Portland cement and two industrial-trial belite cements. Three different admixtures are employed, viz. two types of commercial C-S-H seeding and triisopropanolamine as a typical alkanolamine. A multitechnique approach is employed including calorimetry, ultrasonic pulse velocity, thermal analysis and Rietveld analysis of laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data. Chiefly, an in situ X-ray synchrotron diffraction study has allowed mapping out the evolution of every crystalline phase. Furthermore, the use of an internal standard permitted to measure the changes in the overall amorphous content. In a nutshell, alite and belite (phases) hydrations are not significantly accelerated by C-S-H seeding for the three studied cements. Conversely, sulphate and aluminate phase dissolutions are enhanced. Faster ettringite crystallisation contributes to the observed improved mechanical properties at early ages. Moreover, a synergistic effect between C-S-H seeding and alkanolamine addition is proved. The importance of these findings for the possible acceleration of low-CO2 cement hydration is discussed.

Structural elucidation of phenoxybenzaldehyde derivatives from laboratory powder X-ray diffraction: A combined experimental and theoretical quantum mechanical study

Crystal structure of two new phenoxybenzaldehyde derivatives, 4-(4-bromophenoxy)benzaldehyde (1) and 4-(4-nitrophenoxy)benzaldehyde (2), have been determined from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data. The synergies of intermolecular C–H···O hydrogen bond, π···π, anion···π and lone-pair(l.p)···π interactions assemble the molecules into supramolecular frameworks. The quantum chemical calculation has been performed to analyze and characterize weak noncovalent interactions in the molecules. Analysis of Hirshfeld surfaces of the compounds showed that the crystal structures are primarily characterized by H···H, H···C and H···O contacts. Bader's theory of ‘atoms-in-molecules’ (AIM) is applied to describe the noncovalent interactions for (1) and (2). The supramolecular frameworks are further characterized by theoretical ‘Noncovalent Interaction’ (NCI) plot index.

The structural versatility of proton sponge bismuth halides

Hybrid halometalates containing lead, tin, bismuth and antimony and organic cations have recently shown a bevy of interesting photophysical properties. Aiming at finding chemically stable and thermally inert species, three halobismutate species of this class, crystallized with proton sponge-derived cations (PRSH), have been isolated as microcrystalline powders by mixing 1,8-bis(dimethylamino)-naphthalene (proton sponge, or PRS) and bismuth oxide in concentrated HX acids (X ​= ​Cl, Br and I). The two isomorphous (PRSH)3Bi2X9 (X ​= ​Br, I) species, containing isolated [Bi2X9]3- anions, are triclinic at room temperature and convert upon heating into a monoclinic structure through a displacive phase transformation, fully reversible for X ​= ​I and only partially for X ​= ​Br. At variance, (PRSH)BiCl4 is polymeric, and contains extended zigzagging 1D chains formed by edge-sharing BiCl6 octahedra. These species were extensively studied by synchrotron and laboratory X-ray powder diffraction measurements, which enabled to detect the evolution toward the two high-temperature β-phases (X ​= ​Br, I), to derive the structure of five different (significantly complex) species and to assess the thermal strain tensors in the different regimes. Additional thermal, spectroscopic and computational analyses completed the characterization of these materials.

Powder X-ray diffraction as a powerful tool to exploit in organic electronics: shedding light on the first N,N',N''-trialkyldiindolocarbazole.

The first crystal structure of a fully N-alkylated diindolocarbazole derivative, namely, 5,8,14-tributyldiindolo[3,2-b;2',3'-h]carbazole (1, C36H39N3), has been determined from laboratory powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) data. A complex trigonal structure with a high-volume unit cell of 12987 Å3 was found, with a very long a(=b) [52.8790 (14) Å] and a very short c [5.36308 (13) Å] unit-cell parameter (hexagonal setting). The detailed analysis of the intermolecular interactions observed in the crystal structure of 1 highlights its potential towards the implementation of this core as a semiconductor in organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) devices. Since the molecule has a flat configuration reflecting its π-conjugated system, neighbouring molecules are found to stack atop each other in a slipped parallel fashion via π-π stacking interactions between planes of ca 3.30 Å, with a centroid-centroid distance between the aromatic rings corresponding to the shortest axis of the unit cell (i.e. c). The alkylation of the three N atoms proves to be a decisive feature since it favours the presence of C-H...π interactions in all directions, which strengthens the crystal packing. As a whole, PXRD proves to be a valuable option for the resolution of otherwise inaccessible organic crystal structures of interest in different areas.

Crystal structures of lanthanide terephthalate tetrahydrate, R2(C8H4O4)3(H2O)4, R = La–Er

The crystal structures of 11 lanthanide terephthalate tetrahydrates have been refined using laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data and optimized using density functional techniques. The lattice parameters and R–O bonds exhibit expected trends based on the cation size. The R–O bond distances in the Rietveld-refined structures are similar. However, in the density functional theory (DFT)-optimized structures, the bond distances break into two distinct groups, longer and shorter R–O bonds. This indicates that the bond distance restraints imposed upon the refined structures may have a greater impact than is expected from their weights. The aromatic carboxyl groups were not completely planar, but it is known that the carboxyl groups can rotate to accommodate hydrogen bonding and coordination to the metal. Both water molecules coordinated to the lanthanides act as hydrogen bond donors, but only one of the three unique carboxyl groups acts as an acceptor.

Crystal structure from X-ray powder diffraction data, DFT-D calculation, Hirshfeld surface analysis, and energy frameworks of (RS)-trichlorme-thia-zide.

The structure of racemic (RS)-trichlorme-thia-zide [systematic name: (RS)-6-chloro-3-(di-chloro-meth-yl)-1,1-dioxo-3,4-di-hydro-2H-1λ6,2,4-benzo-thia-di-azine-7-sulfonamide], C8H8Cl3N3O4S2 (RS-TCMZ), a diuretic drug used in the treatment of oedema and hypertension, was determined from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data using DASH [David et al. (2006 ▸). J. Appl. Cryst. 39, 910-915.], refined by the Rietveld method with TOPAS-Academic [Coelho (2018 ▸). J. Appl. Cryst. 51, 210-218], and optimized using DFT-D calculations. The extended structure consists of head-to-tail dimers connected by π-π inter-actions which, in turn, are connected by C-Cl⋯π inter-actions. They form chains propagating along [101], further connected by N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds to produce layers parallel to the ac plane that stack along the b-axis direction, connected by additional N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates a major contribution of H⋯O and H⋯Cl inter-actions (32.2 and 21.7%, respectively). Energy framework calculations confirm the major contribution of electrostatic inter-actions (E elec) to the total energy (E tot). A comparison with the structure of S-TCMZ is also presented.

A previously unknown cyclic alkanolamine and molecular ranking using the pair distribution function

A new six-membered cyclic alkanolamine with chemical formula C6H15N3O3 was synthesized by the reaction of glycolaldehyde with gaseous ammonia. The molecular structure, characterized by a hexagonal ring of alternating carbon and nitrogen atoms with three hydroxymethyl groups attached to the carbon atoms, could not be unambiguously determined by elemental analysis and 1H/13C/15N NMR. The molecular structure and conformation were further determined using a combination of vibrational spectroscopy (IR and Raman) and real-space pair distribution function (PDF) analysis. The crystal structure was determined ab initio from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) with orthorhombic space group Ama2 (No. 40) and unit-cell parameters a = 12.1054 (2) Å, b = 13.5537 (2) Å and c = 5.20741 (8) Å. Consistent structure models could be obtained by symmetry-independent PDF and PDF-Rietveld co-refinements. Independent local structure refinements indicate that the most likely deviations from the average structure consist of small tilting and translational distortions of hydrogen-bonded molecular stacks. Thermal analysis (TG/DTA) and temperature-dependent XRPD measurements were also performed to determine the thermal behavior.

Accuracy in Cement Hydration Investigations: Combined X-ray Microtomography and Powder Diffraction Analyses.

Cement hydration is a very complex set of processes. The evolution of the crystalline phases during hydration can be accurately followed by X-ray powder diffraction data evaluated by the Rietveld method. However, accurate measurements of some microstructural features, including porosity and amorphous content developments, are more challenging. Here, we combine laboratory X-ray powder diffraction and computed microtomography (μCT) to better understand the results of the μCT analyses. Two pastes with different water–cement ratios, 0.45 and 0.65, filled within capillaries of two sizes, ϕ = 0.5 and 1.0 mm, were analysed at 50 days of hydration. It was shown that within the spatial resolution of the measured μCTs, ~2 μm, the water capillary porosity was segmented within the hydrated component fraction. The unhydrated part could be accurately quantified within 2 vol% error. This work is a first step to accurately determining selected hydration features like the hydration degree of amorphous phases of supplementary cementitious materials within cement blends.