Electron Diffraction Crystallography

The unambiguous structural determination of small organic molecules, organometallic complexes, and materials of all sizes is essential to scientific advancement.  Until recently, only X-ray crystallography, which is not amenable to routine use in structural analysis, could provide unambiguous structural information. In most laboratory settings, the practicing chemist relies on NMR spectroscopy coupled with IR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry for the analysis of small molecules. As part of an ongoing collaborative effort with the Nelson and Rodriguez laboratories at UCLA, we seek to develop the technique of microcrystal electron diffraction (microED) as a technique for unambiguous structure determination for small molecule chemists.