X-Ray Diffraction Lab

In the X-Ray diffraction lab you will find two powder diffractometers and a single crystal X-ray diffractometer, used for research in the underlying atomic and molecular structure of materials and solids. The lab is managed by the Solid State Chemistry (SSC) department of the Institute for Molecules and Materials.

For whom?

The diffractometers can be of interest to academic researchers and partners in the chemical, food and/or pharmaceutical industry.

Laboratory equipment

Powder diffractometers

This facility makes it possible to research the identification of solids and the determination of crystallinity and unit cells. The practical applications are, for example, identifying very small amounts of drugs in tablets and determining the structures of cristalline powders.

Single crystal X-ray diffractometer

  • D8 Quest single crystal X-ray diffractometer

The D8 Quest is a state-of-the-art machine; the single crystal X-ray diffractometer allows for immediate access to reliable connectivity and molecular geometry information including chirality. It is the golden standard in structural chemistry, because the results are directly related to the measured data and no model assumptions are involved. It is especially useful for determining absolute crystal structure.

Contact & Access

Interested in the PANalytical Empyrean powder diffractometer? Reach out to dr. René de Gelder.

Interested in the D8 Quest single crystal X-ray diffractometer? Reach out to dr. Paul Tinnemans.

The X-Ray Diffraction Lab is a part of ChemX, a collaboration between Radboud University and Utrecht University. Want to know more? Visit their website:

ChemX.nl