With support from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Acquisition Program, the Department of Chemistry at Howard University will acquire a single crystal X-ray diffractometer. The instrument will be used in the structural characterization of materials including chemical vapor deposition (CVD) precursors, model compounds in bioinorganic chemistry, spin crossover and magnetic materials, and anticancer and anticonvulsant compounds.
The X-ray diffractometer allows the determination of accurate and precise distances and angles between atoms in a molecule. It essentially maps out the three dimensional structure of a molecule, and the spatial arrangement of the molecule relative to the neighboring molecules. The composition of a solid material is fully described by analyzing the diffraction pattern. This equipment will allow Howard University to better train students across the chemical sciences at both the undergraduate and graduate levels with a modern diffractometer system and software.
