Preview
Creation Date
Spring 2024
Description
As a student crystallographer, my research utilizes Single Crystal X-Ray Diffractometry to determine the molecular structure of crystals through the application of mathematical relations to diffraction physics. Each molecule is a miniscule building block. When myriad building blocks are present, these molecular components organize and form a crystal. However, the presence of different building blocks yields different overall solid-state crystal packing of the molecules. These crystals are made of silver salts (purchased by BirdFEEDER grant) and an organic ligand. The main topic of interest is how the environment of the silver atom at the center of each of these molecules changes based on the different molecules (anion or solvent) present. By just changing a small component, the packing of the crystal changes drastically as seen through the organization of molecules inside the computer-generated crystals (right). The far-left diagram demonstrates more crystal-packing. Through crystallography these differences can be explored and measured.