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Related Concept Videos

Determination of Crystal Structures01:29

Determination of Crystal Structures

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In the late 1800s, the revelation that light extended beyond visible wavelengths led to the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen. Recognized as high-energy electromagnetic radiation with short wavelengths, X-rays prompted exploration into their interaction with crystals. Max von Laue proposed in 1912 that the periodic arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in crystals would cause them to diffract X-rays, a hypothesis confirmed through experiments with copper sulfate and zinc sulfide...
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A crystal's internal structure is an orderly array of atoms, ions, or molecules, and the details of this array significantly influence the solid's properties. In a crystal, periodically repeating 'structural motifs' - which could be atoms, molecules, or groups thereof - create a 'space lattice.' This is essentially a three-dimensional, infinite array of points, each surrounded by its neighbors in an identical way, forming the basic structure of the crystal.A 'unit cell' is a theoretical...
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Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Point, Line and Plane Defects01:25

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A perfect crystal, in theory, has a uniform structure with the same unit cell and lattice points throughout. However, any deviation from this periodic arrangement is known as an imperfection or defect. These defects can be categorized into three types: point, line, and plane defects.Point defects occur when there is a deviation from the ideal due to missing atoms, displaced atoms, or additional atoms. These imperfections might occur due to imperfect packing during crystallization or because of...
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The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
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The Seven Crystal Systems: Overview01:24

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Crystals with various point group symmetries belong to different crystal classes, which are synonymous terms. Despite being in the same class, crystals may have distinct shapes, like cubes and octahedra. There are 32 three-dimensional point groups, all of which are systematically divided into seven crystal systems.The basic cubic crystal system, exemplified by NaCl, features orthogonal vectors (α = β = �� = 90°) of equal lengths (a = b = c). When specific...
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Ionic crystals consist of two or more different kinds of ions that usually have different sizes. The packing of these ions into a crystal structure is more complex than the packing of metal atoms that are the same size.
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On-Chip Crystallization and Large-Scale Serial Diffraction at Room Temperature
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Aperiodic crystals and beyond.

Uwe Grimm1

  • 1Department of Mathematics and Statistics, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, England.

Acta Crystallographica Section B, Structural Science, Crystal Engineering and Materials
|June 1, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Crystalline order is broader than traditional periodic lattices, including aperiodic structures like quasicrystals. This study explores the limits of the current definition of crystals by examining novel ordered systems.

Keywords:
aperiodic crystalscrystalline orderincommensurate structuresmathematical diffractionpattern theory

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Area of Science:

  • Crystallography
  • Materials Science
  • Condensed Matter Physics

Background:

  • Crystalline order was historically defined by periodic lattice arrangements.
  • Discoveries of incommensurate crystals and quasicrystals expanded this definition to include aperiodic structures.
  • The current crystallographic definition relies on the characteristic point-like diffraction pattern.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the limitations of the current definition of crystals.
  • To investigate novel ordered structures, particularly non-crystalline ones.
  • To broaden the understanding of crystalline order beyond periodic arrangements.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of recently investigated toy systems.
  • Focus on non-crystalline ordered structures.
  • Comparative study against the current diffraction-based definition of crystals.

Main Results:

  • Identified limitations in the current definition when applied to diverse ordered systems.
  • Demonstrated that 'crystalline order' can manifest in structures lacking traditional periodicity.
  • Highlighted the need for a more generalized framework for defining crystalline order.

Conclusions:

  • The current diffraction-based definition of crystals may be too restrictive.
  • Aperiodic and other non-traditional ordered structures challenge the existing paradigm.
  • Further research is needed to refine the definition of crystalline order to encompass a wider range of structures.