ICDD powder diffraction workshop

Novosibirsk, Russia, October 18-20, 2005

A Powder Diffraction workshop was held to present an overview of the ICDD activities, introduce the new version of the PDF-4 database; discuss applications of powder diffraction techniques; and to introduce researchers and students to the “Grant-in-aid” program of the ICDD. The workshop was organized by the Research and Education Center of Novosibirsk State U., the Boreskov Inst. of Catalysis and the Inst. of Solid State Chemistry and Mechanochemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and conducted by the ICDD. Representatives of the ICDD (J. Faber, E. Antipov and R. Shpanchenko) delivered many of the lectures to the 66 registered participants from institutes in Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Ulan-Ude, Omsk, Tomsk, Barnaul, Tyumen’, Kemerovo, Novokuznetsk, and Irkutsk. Nine young participants from outside Novosibirsk were supported by the Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF, USA).

The plenary lectures covering various aspects of powder diffraction: techniques for getting high-quality high-precision powder diffraction data, the use of the facilities of the Siberian Synchrotron Radiation Centre (A. Shmakov, A. Ancharov, and M. Sharafutdinov), high-pressure structural studies of molecular crystals, polymorphism of drugs and biomimetics (E. Boldyreva), variable-pressure and variable-temperature studies of zeolites (Yu. Seretkin), application of the cation sublattice method in inorganic crystal chemistry (S. Gromilov), studies of nanomaterials and nanosystems (S. Tsybulya), electron density analysis of short- and long-range ordering in amorphous and disperse materials (E. Moroz). Poster topics ranged from the “Fine details of the structure of MCM-41” (S. Kirik), “In situ X-ray powder diffraction and catalysis” (L. Plyasova), to “X-ray diffraction studies of ancient pottery” and “X-ray powder diffraction studies of pharmaceuticals” (T. Drebushchak, and E. Boldyreva). A special session was devoted to the details of preparing data for a submission to the PDF.

The participants had time to discuss research experiences and consult with the experts from the ICDD. Each participant received a package of ICDD informational materials, copies of the lectures, and working and demo-versions of computer programs. Novosibirsk is one of the leading research centers in the field of X-ray powder diffraction in Russia and is recognized internationally for in situ structural studies under extreme and variable conditions, structural studies of nanocrystalline materials and techniques in synchrotron radiation diffraction studies.

Elena Boldyreva and S. Tsybulya, Co-chairs of the Local Organizing Committee