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Updated: Feb 26, 2026
09:16
X-ray Powder Diffraction in Conservation Science: Towards Routine Crystal Structure Determination of Corrosion Products on Heritage Art Objects
Published on: June 8, 2016
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100 years of X-ray crystallography.
Terence J Kemp1, Nathaniel W Alcock
1Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
Science Progress
|July 12, 2017
Summary
Crystallography has advanced significantly since 1917, enabling the determination of complex molecular structures. These breakthroughs enhance our understanding of chemical bonding and enzyme functions.
Area of Science:
- Crystallography and structural biology.
Background:
- The Bragg equation's formulation in 1917 marked a pivotal moment in crystallography.
- Science Progress has documented crystallography's evolution since its early days.
Observation:
- Advances in instrumentation and data analysis have been crucial.
- Computational methods are now integral to analyzing crystallographic data.
Findings:
- Crystallography can now solve structures from simple binary systems to complex biological molecules.
- This progress has significantly impacted chemical bonding theory.
- Understanding of enzyme-substrate interactions has greatly improved.
Implications:
- The development of synchrotron radiation sources heralds a new era in crystallography.
- Crystallography remains a vital multi-disciplinary scientific field.
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