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Neutron topography as a tool for studying reactive organic crystals: a feasibility study
Author(s) -
Dudley M.,
Baruchel J.,
Sherwood J. N.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of applied crystallography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.429
H-Index - 162
ISSN - 1600-5767
DOI - 10.1107/s0021889890000371
Subject(s) - neutron , deuterium , materials science , x ray , pyrene , protonation , resolution (logic) , crystallography , neutron diffraction , beam (structure) , chemical physics , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , optics , crystal structure , physics , nuclear physics , organic chemistry , ion , artificial intelligence , computer science
The feasibility of using neutron topography as a non‐destructive imaging technique for the study of X‐ray sensitive organic single crystals, with a view to applying it to the study of reactivity in such crystals, has been tested. Crystals studied range from relatively X‐ray insensitive protonated and deuterated pyrene crystals to relatively highly X‐ray sensitive 2,4‐hexadiynylene bis( p ‐toluenesulfonate) (PTS) monomer crystals. The latter crystals are readily polymerized in an X‐ray beam. Results indicate that neutron topographic imaging provides little advantage over X‐ray topography for either the X‐ray insensitive or X‐ray sensitive crystals studied here. It was concluded that this is mainly due to limitations in spatial resolution attributed to geometric effects inherent to the technique. However, for X‐ray sensitive crystals, neutron topography can provide useful information, in a non‐destructive way, in the form of rocking‐curve data, and as such can be regarded as a useful `ally' technique to the analogous X‐ray techniques. It is expected that in the case of extreme X‐ray sensitivity, provided geometric losses can be minimized, neutron topography may be the only technique capable of non‐destructively revealing bulk defect structures and strain distributions.