Single-crystal X-ray Diffractometer

Project description

The objective of the action is the acquisition of a state-of-the-art X-ray diffractometer with copper and molybdenum radiation sources. This equipment would be used to measure single crystals in the 1-10 μm range for the structural resolution of all types of materials, including pharmaceuticals, natural products, pigments, zeolites, semiconductors, supramolecular materials and minerals.

It would be a novel piece of equipment that would bridge the gap for measuring single crystals that exists between traditional equipment (10 μm – 0.5 mm) and the electron diffractometer (10 – 500 nm) available in the ICIQ’s common services. The equipment would also be used for the determination of the absolute configuration of chiral products (natural products, pharmaceuticals) and would have a novel robotic system for the screening of crystalline samples by both powder and singlecrystal diffraction. The aim of this acquisition is to strengthen all the lines of research at ICIQ, with diffraction being of vital importance for the characterisation of the crystalline solids generated there. The diffraction service would be open to CERCA research groups, as well as to users from different centres and universities in the rest of the country, such as the Universities of Girona and Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona. It would also be key for ICIQ’s Crysforma Unit, which works on solid-state research on pharmaceutical products.

The total budget for this equipment is €783,209.40, and the granted funding amounts to €391,604.70.

Este equipamiento es parte de la ayuda EQC2024-007935-P, financiada por MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 y por FEDER/UE