With this award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities Multiuser Program (CRIF:MU), Professor Benjamin S. Hsiao and colleagues Nancy S. Goroff and Peter G. Khalifah from SUNY Stony Brook (SBU) will acquire an X-ray diffractometer with variable temperature control and a 4-circle-kappa goniometer configured for an enhanced molybdenum radiation source. This instrument will benefit students from nine different research groups who will use the diffractometer on a regular basis. The main research projects that will benefit from this award are in the areas of inorganic periodic solids, inorganic framework materials, lithium-ion batteries and other layered materials, organometallic enzyme models, transition metal complexes, crystal engineering and topochemical polymerizations, molecular electronics, conjugated organic materials, and physics of electronic materials. In addition, at least 11 other groups at SBU, whose research ranges from synthetic organic chemistry to terrestrial magma formation, will benefit from occasional access to these upgraded capabilities.
An X-ray diffractometer allows accurate and precise measurements of the full three dimensional structure of a molecule, including bond distances and angles, and provides accurate information about the spatial arrangement of the molecule relative to the neighboring molecules. The studies described here will impact a number of areas, including chemistry, materials chemistry and biochemistry. This instrument will be an integral part of teaching as well as research.
