X-ray Crystallography Facility

Theodor Agapie – Faculty Advisor
Michael K. Takase – Director

The X-Ray Crystallography Facility (XRCF) has been supporting scientific research at Caltech since 1992. Since inception, our primary mission has been to determine the crystal structures of small molecules, including organic, inorganic and organometallic compounds. The facility provides the appropriate personnel, equipment, and computing facilities for collecting X-ray diffraction data and determining the structures of small molecules from crystalline materials. In addition to small molecule X-ray crystallography (XRC), the facility has expanded to include X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and elemental analysis (EA). Details for each technique can be found at the facility website.

X-ray crystallography is an experimental technique which can determine the positions of atoms in a crystal and can be used to understand the solid state structure of a molecule.

The XRCF is equipped with two Bruker single crystal diffractometers. A Bruker AXS D8 KAPPA four-circle diffractometer using Mo radiation from a sealed-tube X-ray generator or a Bruker AXS D8 VENTURE four-circle diffractometer using either Mo or Cu radiation from ImuS micro-sources. Both are equipped with Oxford Cryosystems crystal cooling systems. Data are routinely collected at 100K unless otherwise dictated by the experiment.

X-ray powder diffraction is an experimental technique which can determine structure information from a polycrystalline powder.

Two powder diffractometers were added to the facility in Fall 2020. A new Rigaku SmartLab diffractometer was installed in September 2020 and a PANalytical X'Pert Pro was transferred from its previous home in the Faber Lab. The addition of these instruments will greatly increase the capabilities available to the Caltech community.

Michael K. Takase, Ph.D.

Director

• 116 – Beckman Institute
• Mail Code 139-74
• Tel: (626) 395-2734
• Fax: (626) 449-4159
• mktakase@caltech.edu

Lab Contact Information

• 110 – Beckman Institute
• Mail Code 139-74
• Tel: (626) 395-2741
• Fax: (626) 449-4159
• xray@caltech.edu