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Methods of structural and phase analysis of nanomaterials

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Course Unit Code617-3028/01
Number of ECTS Credits Allocated4 ECTS credits
Type of Course Unit *Compulsory
Level of Course Unit *Second Cycle
Year of Study *First Year
Semester when the Course Unit is deliveredWinter Semester
Mode of DeliveryFace-to-face
Language of InstructionCzech
Prerequisites and Co-Requisites There are no prerequisites or co-requisites for this course unit
Name of Lecturer(s)Personal IDName
MAT27doc. Ing. Vlastimil Matějka, Ph.D.
Summary
The subject is focused on the methods for the characterization of the phase composition and structure of the nanomaterials. The subject will enable to understand the significance of the X-ray diffraction analysis for the characterization of the nanomaterials. The initial lectures are oriented on the description of the materials´ structure, the terms connected to the symmetry of the crystal structures and crystallochemistry will be defined. Next part of the lectures will provide the insight into the origin and the characteristics of the X-ray irradiation, its interactions with the matter. Information about the X-ray diffraction techniques, the X-ray diffractometers construction and the individual functional attachments will be the part of next block of the lectures. The application of the X-ray diffraction analysis for qualitative and quantitative phase analysis will be described. In the last block of the lectures, the utilization of the diffraction methods for the structural characterization of the nanomaterials will be described.
Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit
The aim of the course is to acquaint the students with the issues connected to the structure of the nanomaterials and with the -ray diffraction technique as the method for their description. After the completing of the lectures the students will be able to utilize the X-ray diffraction technique for the characterization of the nanomaterials, perform the diffraction experiment and evaluate the measured data.
Course Contents
1. General terms from the mineralogy and crystallography. Crystal systems, Bravais lattices, direction indices, Miller indices of lattice planes.
2. Macroscopic symmetry of the crystals, space groups and the effect of their symmetry on the properties of the crystals.
3. Reciprocal lattice, construction, relations in the reciprocal space, Ewald sphere.
4. Real crystal structures. Isomorphy, polymorphy, polytypism, defects in the crystal structures.
5. Origination of the X-ray irradiation, X-ray sources. Interaction of the X-ray irradiation with matter, diffraction of X-rays on the crystal lattice, influence of the atom position on the diffraction pattern.
6. Overview of the X-ray diffraction techniques, methods of the single-crystal diffraction, studies of the powder and polycrystalline samples.
7. Construction of the X-ray diffractometers, setups.
8. Attachments (primary, secondary optics, sample holders, chambers, detectors).
9. X-ray diffraction pattern, the information inside the patterns.
10. Application of the diffraction methods. Qualitative and quantitative diffraction analysis, determination of the lattice parameters.
11. Determination of the crystallite size, study of the lattice strain. Utilization of the X-ray diffraction for the characterization of the textures.
12. X-ray diffraction at high temperatures and pressures.
13. Rietveld methods for the quantitative phase analysis.
14. Neutron diffraction experiments (neutron sources, diffraction experiment, examples of the neutron diffraction analysis). X-ray tomography, principle, practical utilization.
Recommended or Required Reading
Required Reading:
WASEDA, Yoshio, Eiichiro MATSUBARA a Kozo SHINODA. X-Ray Diffraction Crystallography. 1. Berlin: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2011. ISBN 978-3-642-16635-8.

KRAUS, Ivo. Úvod do strukturní rentgenografie. 1. Praha: Academia, 1985. ISBN 21-014-85.
VALVODA, Václav. Základy strukturní analýzy. 1. Praha: Karolinum, 1992. ISBN 80-200-0280-4.
WASEDA, Yoshio, Eiichiro MATSUBARA a Kozo SHINODA. X-Ray Diffraction Crystallography. 1. Berlin: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2011. ISBN 978-3-642-16635-8.
Recommended Reading:
SURYANARAYANA, C. a M. GRANT NORTON. X-Ray Diffraction A Practical Approach. 1. New York: Springer US, 1998. ISBN 978-0-306-45744-9.
KRAUS, Ivo a Nikolaj GANEV. Technické aplikace difrakční analýzy. 1. Praha: Vydavatelství ČVUT, 2004. ISBN 80-010-3099-7.
ZAMARSKÝ, Vítězslav, Helena RACLAVSKÁ a Dalibor MATÝSEK. Mineralogie a krystalografie pro FMMI. Ostrava: VŠB - Technická univerzita, 2008. ISBN 978-80-248-1904-4.
SURYANARAYANA, C. a M. GRANT NORTON. X-Ray Diffraction A Practical Approach. 1. New York: Springer US, 1998. ISBN 978-0-306-45744-9.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Lectures, Individual consultations, Experimental work in labs
Assesment methods and criteria
Task TitleTask TypeMaximum Number of Points
(Act. for Subtasks)
Minimum Number of Points for Task Passing
Credit and ExaminationCredit and Examination100 (100)51
        CreditCredit30 16
        ExaminationExamination70 35