Fast X-ray powder diffraction on I11 at Diamond.

The commissioning and performance characterization of a position-sensitive detector designed for fast X-ray powder diffraction experiments on beamline I11 at Diamond Light Source are described. The detecting elements comprise 18 detector-readout modules of MYTHEN-II silicon strip technology tiled to provide 90° coverage in 2θ. The modules are located in a rigid housing custom designed at Diamond with control of the device fully integrated into the beamline data acquisition environment.

Detailed investigations of phase transitions and magnetic structure in Fe(III), Mn(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate (gallate) dihydrates by neutron and X-ray diffraction.

The effect of cation valency on the complex structures of divalent and trivalent transition metal gallates has been examined using a combination of neutron and synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and XANES spectroscopy. In the divalent frameworks, M(C(7)H(4)O(5))·2H(2)O (M = Mn, Co and Ni), it was found that charge balance was achieved via the presence of protons on the meta-hydroxyl groups. It was also established that these compounds undergo a discontinuous phase transition at lower temperatures, which is driven by the position of the extra-framework water molecules in these materials.

The effect of pressure on the crystal structure of [Gd(PhCOO)3(DMF)]n to 3.7 GPa and the transition to a second phase at 5.0 GPa.

The effect of pressure on the crystal structure of the coordination polymer [Gd(PhCOO)(3)(DMF)](n) has been studied to 5.0 GPa. At ambient pressure the structure is tetragonal (space group P4(2)/n) with the polymers extending along the c-direction of the unit cell; successive Gd atoms are alternately bridged by four benzoates and by two benzoates; the coordination spheres of the metal atoms are completed by DMF ligands.

Pressure-induced Jahn-Teller switching in a Mn12 nanomagnet.

Pressure-induced switching of a fast-relaxing single-molecule magnet to a slow-relaxing isomer is observed for the first time by using a combination of high pressure single-crystal X-ray diffraction and high pressure magnetic measurements.

High pressure studies of hydroxo-bridged Cu(II) dimers.

A combination of high pressure single crystal X-ray diffraction and high pressure SQUID magnetometry has been used to study three hydroxo-bridged copper(II) dimers. [Cu2(OH)2(H2O)2(tmen)2](ClO4)2 (1; tmen = tetramethylethylenediamine), [Cu2(OH)2(tben)2](ClO4)2 (2; tben = di-tbutylethylenediamine) and [Cu2(OH)2(bpy)2](BF4)2 (3; bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) have been structurally determined to 2.5, 0.

Comparison of the effects of pressure on three layered hydrates: a partially successful attempt to predict a high-pressure phase transition.

We report the effect of pressure on the crystal structures of betaine monohydrate (BTM), L-cysteic acid monohydrate (CAM) and S-4-sulfo-L-phenylalanine monohydrate (SPM). All three structures are composed of layers of zwitterionic molecules separated by layers of water molecules. In BTM the water molecules make donor interactions with the same layer of betaine molecules, and the structure remains in a compressed form of its ambient-pressure phase up to 7.

High pressure effects on a trimetallic Mn(II/III) SMM.

A combined study of the high pressure crystallography and high pressure magnetism of the complex [Mn3(Hcht)2(bpy)4](ClO4)3.Et2O.2MeCN (1.

High pressure induced spin changes and magneto-structural correlations in hexametallic SMMs.

The first combined high pressure single-crystal X-ray diffraction and high pressure magnetism study of two polymetallic clusters is presented in an attempt to correlate the observed changes in structure with changes in magnetic response without the need for changes in external ligation. At 1.5 GPa the structure of [Mn(6)O(2)(Et-sao)(6)(O(2)CPh(Me)(2))(2)(EtOH)(6)] (1; Et-saoH(2) = 2-hydroxyphenylpropanone)--a single molecule magnet (SMM) with an effective anisotropy barrier of approximately 86 K--and of [Mn(6)O(2)(Et-sao)(6)(O(2)C-naphth)(2)(EtOH)(4)(H(2)O)(2)] 2 both undergo significant structural distortions of their metallic skeletons, which has a direct effect upon the observed magnetic response.

A novel facility using a Laue focusing monochromator for high-pressure diffraction at the SRS, Daresbury, UK.

A novel Laue focusing monochromator has been developed to provide intense X-radiation for high-pressure diffraction experiments. A beamline using this monochromator has been successfully developed on station 9.5 at the SRS, Daresbury Laboratory.