The Howard Flack Crystallographic Lecture Series – Dr. Lukáš Palatinus
Howard Flack Lecture Series 2022 of the Swiss Society for Crystallography SGK/SSCr will take place on November 11th at UNIGE.
This lecture will focus on electron crystallography, with Dr. Lukáš Palatinus from FZU, Czech Academy of Sciences.
“Electron Crystallography”
Dr. Lukáš Palatinus – FZU, Czech Academy of Sciences
Friday, November 11, 12:15
University of Geneva
Auditorium A100, Science II Building
Abstract:
The lecture will be focused on the theory and practice of 3D electron diffraction (3D ED) – a crystallographic technique allowing structure analysis from single submicrometric crystals. This technique was born almost two decades ago, but it is now going through a phase of explosive development. Some eight years ago its general applicability and achievable accuracy were still a matter of debate. Five years ago, the first reports showing reliable localization of hydrogen atoms by 3D ED appeared, and refinements with figures of merit approaching those of X-ray diffraction became possible. Today, observation of hydrogens and other structural details is considered routine, and advanced applications like charge density analysis from 3D ED data are appearing. The lectures will give an overview of this development and they will be especially focused on the possibilities 3D ED offers today in literally all areas of structural crystallography. Applications to materials ranging from intermetallic alloys including precipitates through multiphasic mineralogical samples all the way to hydrated materials, MOFs and complex organic materials will be given. The determination of absolute structure by electron crystallography will be demonstrated and discussed. Existing limitations of the method will also be pointed out together with the prospect of overcoming them. It will be shown that 3D ED is ripe enough to be immediately useful for material scientists and chemists who need crystallographic characterisation of microcrystalline materials, but it is also young enough to offer exciting opportunities for any crystallographer wishing to contribute to its development.