
Centrosymmetric or noncentrosymmetric?
Author(s) -
Marsh R. E.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
acta crystallographica section b
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1600-5740
pISSN - 0108-7681
DOI - 10.1107/s0108768186098361
Subject(s) - materials science , crystallography , chemistry
In cases where diffraction data do not provide a clear choice between a centrosymmetric and a noncentrosymmetric space group, it is better to opt for the centrosymmetric description even though disorder may result. The disorder model implies that the crystal is a composite of two or more molecular structures that cannot be distinguished from one another. On the other hand, attempts to refine a single, ordered model in the noncentrosymmetric space group (which should lead to poor convergence because of near singularities) may lead to the erroneous conclusion that a unique structure has been found. Three examples of this latter situation are given.