Past, present and future—sample environments for materials research studies in scattering and spectroscopy; a UK perspective

Abstract

Small angle x-ray scattering and x-ray absorption fine structure are two techniques that have been employed at synchrotron sources ever since their inception. Over the course of the development of the techniques, the introduction of sample environments for added value experiments has grown dramatically. This article reviews past successes, current developments and an exploration of future possibilities for these two x-ray techniques with an emphasis on the developments in the United Kingdom between 1980–2020.

In Situ X-ray Diffraction as a Basic Tool to Study Oxide and Metal Oxide Catalysts

“…Even though they are not detectable by a standard XRD experiment, still information about short-range ordering could be obtained by the pair distribution function technique (PDF) [12]. In addition, the small/ultra-small angle X-ray scattering technique (SAXS/USAXS, including anomalous ones) can be utilized for studying larger scales like size and shape distributions of particles [13,14]. The high sensitivity of the bulk XRD to the deviations from the perfect order (defects) is also useful in the field of catalysis research because ordering/clustering of these defects can drive structural transformations, which is a common case for in situ/operando studies [15][16][17].…”