Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 26, 2026

Measurements of Long-range Electronic Correlations During Femtosecond Diffraction Experiments Performed on Nanocrystals of Buckminsterfullerene
Published on: August 22, 2017
Integrating near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) microscopy and crystallography: the effects of
Lisa M Croll1, James F Britten, Cynthia Morin
1Department of Chemistry and Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4M1.
Abstract:
The carbon K-edge near-edge X-ray absorption spectra (NEXAFS) of oriented single crystals of N,N"-ethylenebis(N'-2-methylphenyl)urea have been recorded using scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM). The single-crystal structure has been determined by X-ray crystallography. A strong polarization dependence (linear dichroism) has been observed and interpreted with the aid of the single-crystal structure and crystal alignment. These results demonstrate the ability of STXM to determine molecular orientation on a submicrometre spatial scale.
Related Concept Videos
X-ray Crystallography
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
Determination of Crystal Structures
X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...

