An analysis of the microstructure of nanocrystalline magnesium oxide produced by thermal decomposition of magnesium oxalate, in the temperature range 500 °C–1200 °C, is described. The study is based on diffraction line broadening analysis carried out with the integral breadth (Langford) and Fourier methods, combined with the pattern decomposition technique. Additionally, the whole pattern matching method is also applied. No marked line broadening anisotropy is observed in the patterns. It is shown that the nanopowders are characterized by minimal strain and that crystallites have an average spherical shape. Volume-weighted and area-weighted apparent sizes are in the ranges 98–480 Å and 72–282 Å, respectively, within the temperature range considered. The results obtained from line broadening analysis are compared to those observed with scanning electron microscopy and surface area measurements. A satisfactory agreement is found between sizes derived from the different techniques.

This paper reports the results of crystallography and crystal chemistry investigation of the (Ba1−xSrx)Y2CuO5 (“green phase”) solid solution series by X-ray powder diffraction (XPD) and neutron powder diffraction techniques. The single phase regions for (Ba1−xSrx)Y2CuO5 were determined to be 0⩽x⩽0.3 for samples prepared at 810 °C in 100 Pa pO2, and 0⩽x⩽0.7 for samples prepared at 930 °C in air. All single phase (Ba1−xSrx)Y2CuO5 samples are isostructural to BaY2CuO5 and can be indexed using an orthorhombic cell with the space group Pnma. Lattice parameters, a,b,c and the cell volume, V, of the (Ba1−xSrx)Y2CuO5 members decrease linearly with increasing Sr substitution (x) on the Ba site. The general structure of (Ba1−xSrx)Y2CuO5 can be considered as having a three-dimensional interconnected network of [YO7],[(Ba,Sr)O11], and [CuO5] polyhedra. The copper ions are located inside distorted [CuO5] “square” pyramids. These pyramids are connected by the [Y2O11] groups that are formed from two monocapped [YO7] trigonal prisms sharing a triangular face. The Ba2+ ions are found to reside in distorted 11-fold coordinated cages. The oxygen sites are essentially fully occupied. XPD reference patterns of two members of the series, (Ba0.3Sr0.7)Y2CuO5 and (Ba0.7Sr0.3)Y2CuO5, were prepared for inclusion in the powder diffraction file.

A new Nasicon phosphates series [Na3+xCr2−xCox(PO4)3(0⩽x⩽1)] was synthesized by a coprecipitation method and structurally characterized by powder X-ray diffraction. The selected compound Na3.5Cr1.5Co0.5(PO4)3 (x=0.5) crystallizes in the R3c space group with the following hexagonal unit-cell dimensions: ah=8.7285(3) Å, ch=21.580(2) Å, V=1423.8(1) Å3, and Z=6. This three-dimensional framework is built of PO4 tetrahedra and Cr∕CoO6 octahedra sharing corners. Na atoms occupy totally M(1) sites and partially M(2) sites.

Structures of two K2SnX(PO4)3(X=Fe,Yb) phosphates, obtained by conventional solid state reaction techniques at 950 °C, were determined at room temperature by X-ray powder diffraction using Rietveld analysis. The two materials exhibit the langbeinite-type structure (P213 space group, Z=4). Cubic unit cell parameter values are: a=9.9217(4) Å and a=10.1583(4) Å for K2SnFe(PO4)3 and K2SnYb(PO4)3, respectively. Structural refinements show that the two crystallographically independent octahedral sites (of symmetry 3) have a mixed Sn∕X (X=Fe,Yb) population although ordering is stronger in the Yb phase than in the Fe phase.

Crystal structure of Ca1.1Co1.9(PO4)2 was successfully determined from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data (Co Kα) using direct methods and the Rietveld refinement. The crystal structure was found to be monoclinic (space group P21∕n, Z=4) with lattice dimensions of a=1.452 67(5) nm, b=0.494 34(1) nm, c=0.867 50(3) nm, β=92.316(1)°, and V=0.622 45(3) nm3. The final reliability indices calculated from the Rietveld refinement were Rwp=3.93%, Rp=3.02%, RB=4.10%, and S=1.48. Both Co and Ca atoms were distributed over the 2a and 2d sites with a preference of Ca at the 2d site. The coexistence of Co and Ca on the 2a and 2d sites is indispensable for stabilizing Ca1.1Co1.9(PO4)2 in the Ca3(PO4)2-Co3(PO4)2 system.

The crystal structure of cesium ammonium hexachlorotellurate [Cs0.86(NH4)0.14]2TeCl6, has been determined using X-ray powder diffraction techniques. At room temperature, the title compound crystallizes in the cubic space group Fm3m, with a lattice parameter a=10.470(17) Å. The Rietveld refinement of the structure led to final confidence factors Rp=0.0338 and Rwp=0.0487. The structure of [Cs0.86(NH4)0.14]2TeCl6 belongs to the large family of K2PtCl6-related structures. The H atoms of the ammonium group are orientated with its apex toward Te atoms as seen in the related compound (NH4)2SiF6. An IR spectroscopic study was performed to confirm the results of the diffraction method, notably concerning the presence of the ammonium group.

Li0.5M0.25TiOAsO4 (M=Mg,Co,Ni,Zn) oxyarsenates powders were prepared by coprecipitation method from dilute solution of Li2CO3,M(NO3)2×H2O (M=Mg,Co,Ni,Zn), (NH4)H2AsO4 and TiCl4 in ethanol. The resulting powders, obtained after drying at about 60 °C, were heated progressively with intermittent grindings at 200 °C–750 °C in air. These new compounds crystallize in the monoclinic system with space group P21∕c. Their parameters are functions of M2+ ion size.

K3Nb3WO9(AsO4)2 has been investigated by means of X-ray powder diffraction. Powder diffraction data were obtained by conventional diffractometer with Kα radiation. Unit-cell dimensions were determined by an indexing program based on variation of parameters by successive dichotomies. An orthorhombic cell (space group Pnma) was found with a=15.001 (1) Å, b=14.814(1) Å, c=7.2374 (8) Å, and V=1608.4 (4) A3. The figures of merit were calculated to be M(20)=35.9 and F(20)=70.8 (0.0055,51).

X-ray powder diffraction data for Mo2.85Al1.91Si4.81 are reported. The new Mo2.85Al1.91Si4.81 compound was successfully prepared using the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) technique. The starting atomic mixture of reactant powders was Mo+2(1−x)Si+2xAl with x=0.3. The final powder compound obtained by the SHS technique was determined to be Mo2.85Al1.91Si4.81 by ICP-AES. X-ray powder diffraction pattern of Mo2.85Al1.91Si4.81 was recorded using an X-ray powder diffractometer, Cu Kα radiation, and analyzed by automatic indexing programs. Mo2.85Al1.91Si4.81 was found to be hexagonal with a=4.6929(2) Å and c=6.5515(4) Å. The XRD results are in good agreement with those of Mo2.85Ga2Si4.15.

X-ray powder diffraction data for N,N'-diphenylguanidinium nitrate, within the temperature range of 103–293 K, are reported. The pattern at 293 K was confirmed by a fitting of the overall parameters performed with FULLPROF using the atomic parameters obtained from single-crystal studies. The compound is orthorhombic, space group Pna21 (33), with unit-cell parameters a=1.7058(4) nm, b=1.3933(3) nm, c=0.5821(1) nm, and V=1.3834(6) nm3. The unit-cell parameters for the other six temperatures measured were determined by performing pattern matching with FULLPROF. The unit-cell volume contracted on cooling from 1.3834(6) nm3 to 1.3403(4) nm3. The thermal expansion tensor was calculated from the changes of the unit-cell parameters with temperature. The elements of the thermal expansion tensor at 293 K are α11=125(4),α22=57(9), and α33=82(3)×10−6 K−1.

An experimental X-ray powder diffraction pattern was produced and analyzed for alpha-polymorphic tegafur, also called Ftorafur (an antineoplastic agent). The indexed data matched the powder patterns in the ICDD PDF-4/Organics database calculated from the reported single-crystal X-ray diffraction data in the Cambridge Structural Database. Alpha tegafur has a triclinic crystal system, with reduced cell parameters of a=16.720(6) Å, b=9.021(5) Å, c=5.995(3) Å, α=93.66(4)°, β=93.15(8)°, γ=100.14(4)°. There are four formula units contained in one unit cell. The cell volume and space group were determined to be 886.27 Å3 and P-1, respectively.

A simple method is described that uses a KCl powder sample and a digital camera to monitor the size, location, and inhomogeneity of the incident X-ray beam in a powder diffractometer. The method has been used successfully to detect problems in the sample holder and the divergence slit of a powder diffractometer used in our laboratory.