Speaker
Description
Local-scale defects and disorder are essential in the development of new advanced functional materials. However, such features are often difficult to characterize and understand without suitable probes. Powder diffraction is a powerful technique for understanding atomic structures, however, Bragg peaks alone are limited to information regarding the “average” or long-range structure. The presence of local-scale disorder results in diffuse features that occur beneath and between the Bragg peaks. Hence, the chracterisation of nano-scale (0.1 – 3 nm) features in functional materials demands an alternative approach.
Total scattering involves the collection of both Bragg and diffuse data over a wide Q-range. This can be Fourier transformed to generate the pair distribution function (PDF), which corresponds to an interatomic histogram of atom-atom pairs in real space. Analyzing such data can enable the development of atomic models that capture the local- and long-range structural features. Such measurements require the use of high energy x-rays and/or neutrons. With the development of the advanced diffraction and scattering beamline at the Australian synchrotron, such measurements will become viable in Australia.
This presentation will show case clear-cut examples of the application of total scattering in materials chemistry. This will show the necessity for local structure analysis in developing a complete understanding of structure-property relationships.
| Which facility did you use for your research | Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering |
|---|---|
| Condition of submission | Yes |
| Level of Expertise | Early Career <5 Years |
| Presenter Gender | Man |
