Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Determination of Crystal Structures

Determination of Crystal Structures

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...

X-ray Crystallography

X-ray Crystallography

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.
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...

$X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples$ 01:10

X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples

X-ray diffraction or XRD is an analytical tool that utilizes X-rays to study ordered structures such as crystalline organic and inorganic samples, polycrystalline materials, proteins, carbohydrates, and drugs.
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...

Atomic Spectroscopy: Absorption, Emission, and Fluorescence

Atomic Spectroscopy: Absorption, Emission, and Fluorescence

Atomic spectroscopy is a vital tool in elemental analysis, both qualitatively and quantitatively. It can be broadly divided into optical spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy, and X-ray spectroscopy methods. The optical spectroscopic methods are atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), atomic emission spectroscopy (AES), and atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (AFS). The first step in all three methods is atomization, where the solid, liquid, or solution-phase samples are converted into gas-phase atoms and...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

High-throughput in situ single particle X-ray imaging of dehydrating viral capsids.

Light, science & applications·2026

Same author

Evidence for an Electronically Driven Charge Density Wave in a 1D Metallic MOF.

ACS central science·2026

Same author

Single-Particle X-ray Scattering Reveals a High Local Supersaturation of Precursors as the Origin of CoO Assembly Formation.

The journal of physical chemistry letters·2026

Same author

The Enzymatic Mechanism of OAS: How Metal Ions and Quantum Effects Help Activate Innate Immunity.

ACS omega·2026

Same author

Statistical crystallography reveals an allosteric network in SARS-CoV-2 M<sup>pro</sup>.

Communications biology·2026

Same author

Author Correction: Pr and Pfr structures of plant phytochrome A.

Nature communications·2026

Same journal

Towards light-coupled sample preparation for time-resolved cryoEM studies.

IUCrJ·2026

Same journal

Cryo-EM analysis of cooperative conformational changes in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein trimer.

IUCrJ·2026

Same journal

Towards time-resolved MicroED grid preparation using mix-and-inject gas dynamic virtual nozzles.

IUCrJ·2026

Same journal

How cryoEM has advanced our understanding of bacteriophages and bacteriocins targeting Clostridioides difficile.

IUCrJ·2026

Same journal

CryoEM structures reveal allosteric regulation of the catalytic activity of the multi-protein human MAT enzyme complexes.

IUCrJ·2026

Same journal

Cryo-EM-guided subtractive optimization of a novel VCP/p97 inhibitor.

IUCrJ·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 25, 2026

$Measurements of Long-range Electronic Correlations During Femtosecond Diffraction Experiments Performed on Nanocrystals of Buckminsterfullerene$

Measurements of Long-range Electronic Correlations During Femtosecond Diffraction Experiments Performed on Nanocrystals of Buckminsterfullerene

Published on: August 22, 2017

3D atomic structure determination with ultrashort-pulse MeV electron diffraction.

Vincent Hennicke¹, Max Hachmann², Paul Benjamin Klar³

¹Center for Free-Electron Laser Science CFEL, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestr. 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany.

|April 23, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

MeV electron diffraction enables atomic-scale 3D structure determination for challenging materials. This advanced technique overcomes limitations of traditional methods, allowing detailed analysis of nanostructures and radiation-sensitive samples.

Keywords:

2D materials dynamical refinement electron crystallography high-energy electron diffraction muscovite tantalum disulfide

More Related Videos

Sample Preparation and Transfer Protocol for In-Vacuum Long-Wavelength Crystallography on Beamline I23 at Diamond Light Source

Sample Preparation and Transfer Protocol for In-Vacuum Long-Wavelength Crystallography on Beamline I23 at Diamond Light Source

Published on: April 23, 2021

Quantitative Atomic-Site Analysis of Functional Dopants/Point Defects in Crystalline Materials by Electron-Channeling-Enhanced Microanalysis

Quantitative Atomic-Site Analysis of Functional Dopants/Point Defects in Crystalline Materials by Electron-Channeling-Enhanced Microanalysis

Published on: May 10, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 25, 2026

$Measurements of Long-range Electronic Correlations During Femtosecond Diffraction Experiments Performed on Nanocrystals of Buckminsterfullerene$

Measurements of Long-range Electronic Correlations During Femtosecond Diffraction Experiments Performed on Nanocrystals of Buckminsterfullerene

Published on: August 22, 2017

Sample Preparation and Transfer Protocol for In-Vacuum Long-Wavelength Crystallography on Beamline I23 at Diamond Light Source

Sample Preparation and Transfer Protocol for In-Vacuum Long-Wavelength Crystallography on Beamline I23 at Diamond Light Source

Published on: April 23, 2021

Quantitative Atomic-Site Analysis of Functional Dopants/Point Defects in Crystalline Materials by Electron-Channeling-Enhanced Microanalysis

Quantitative Atomic-Site Analysis of Functional Dopants/Point Defects in Crystalline Materials by Electron-Channeling-Enhanced Microanalysis

Published on: May 10, 2021

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Crystallography
Electron Microscopy

Background:

Atomic-scale understanding is crucial for developing advanced materials.
Electron probes offer high resolution with minimal radiation damage but face sample preparation and vacuum limitations.
Traditional electron diffraction is restricted to thin samples.

Purpose of the Study:

To implement MeV electron diffraction for ab initio 3D structure determination.
To overcome limitations of traditional electron diffraction techniques.
To enable atomic resolution analysis of challenging materials.

Main Methods:

Utilized MeV electron diffraction with ultrashort electron pulses from the REGAE accelerator.
Performed ab initio 3D structure determination.
Employed dynamical scattering theory for structural refinements.

Main Results:

Achieved atomic resolution 3D structure determination for muscovite and 1T-TaS2.
Enabled precise localization of hydrogen atoms.
Demonstrated significantly expanded sample thickness range due to increased penetration depth of MeV electrons.

Conclusions:

MeV electron diffraction is a viable method for atomic-scale structure determination.
This technique expands the range of investigable materials, including nanostructures and radiation-sensitive compounds.
Opens new avenues for in situ and time-resolved materials research.