Synchrotron X-ray diffraction pattern of the complicated M8 murataite polytype

What is it about?

Previously, the authors illustrated how, for a powder X-ray diffraction pattern of a complex, very large face-centered cubic (FCC) unit cell (a=39.277(3) Å) oxide, M8, it becomes mandatory to investigate weak, low-angle 2θlines (≲2% of the maximum intensity line) to determine the correct space group(s) (SG). Here the authors present the efficacious result from a synchrotron, confirming the earlier proposed need for a changed SG.

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Photo by Grant Durr on Unsplash

Photo by Grant Durr on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The result implied that any improvement in data could only come from an intense X-ray source such as a synchrotron, as very well described here. The authors present evidence that Fd-3m (227) is the most likely space group for M8 polytype.