The X-ray laboratory provides structure determination for academic and commercial institutions in the region, though we also welcome crystals from further afield. If your crystals are too small for your own institutions' crystallography facility, there is a good chance that we can help. All data collections are tailored to the crystal at hand. We have extensive experience in the following areas:

    Highly reactive unstable crystals
    Air and moisture sensitive crystals
    Unusually small crystals
    Low-temperature data collection
    Disorder
    Twinning
    Absolute structure determinations, including all-light atom structures
    Modulated superstructures and pseudosymmetry
    Database searches
   
A typical structure determination will involve the following:

    Sample inspection under the polarizing microscope
    Determination of unit cell parameters, crystal system and space group
    Structure solution and refinement including appropriate absorption corrections
    Creation of tables in CIF and other formats
    Publication-ready molecular and packing plots
    Advice on how to interpret and present structural results

Crystals should be submitted along with as much information as possible. Although we can usually solve a structure and figure out the atom types with no prior knowledge, it is something of a pain to have to do this. Often it is better to know the starting materials than the intended product. You may use this pdf format submission sheet.

For routine structures we can and will match or beat any cost-per-service small-molecule structure determination facility fees. The vast majority of outside work that we do, however, is on problem crystals that have proved impossible elsewhere. These naturally take longer, require considerably more effort and thus cost correspondingly more. To enquire, send an e-mail to the Director of the laboratory.