Atomic pair distribution function analysis and powder diffraction of nanocrystalline materials

Simon J. L. Billinge

Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (USA)

Nanostructured materials are currently of great interest worldwide with the hope that “nanotechnology” will revolutionize our lives. This remains to be seen, but the ability to study the atomic scale structure of nanostructured materials is clearly a prerequisite to this revolution. The problem is that nano-materials are not periodically long-range ordered and cannot be studied using conventional crystallography. One of the great challenges facing us is to characterize these nanostructues both quantitatively and reliably. I will describe recent applications of the atomic pair distribution function (PDF) technique to the study of nanostructured materials. I will mention recent work in transition-metal oxides and chalcogenides, III-V and II-VI electronic materials, Cs ions intercalated in nanoporous hosts and alumino-silicate glasses.