Synchrotron Radiation Source, Daresbury Laboratory - Structural and Environmental Chemistry College

Since the beginning of 2007 we have moved our focus away from significant equipment developments in order to meet our ongoing aim of concentrating on getting the most out of our stations over the remaining life of the SRS, and, as far as possible, to provide facilities that enable the community to compete with researchers worldwide until Diamond takes over as the principal provider to UK SR users. That said, some continuing improvements have now come to fruition.

Station 9.5HPT has progressed steadily to provide its expanded user base with even more efficiencies in data collection since the installation of the mar345 in situ image plate. Automated alignment of components can now be achieved remotely with the beam on so avoiding having to keep entering the hutch to make adjustments. Additionally, users are now able to use scripts to collect data between movements (in sample orientation for example) and this in turn leads to the opportunity to collect oscillation data on a single crystal grown from powder inside a high pressure diamond anvil cell. The range of in situ experiments on single crystals (e.g. using an environmental gas cell) carried out on Station 9.8 also continues to grow resulting in a steady stream of high impact publications, whereas Station 16.2SMX works routinely for less demanding single crystal samples and provides a rapid access opportunity for commercial users. Station 9.1 continues to be in high demand for reliable diffraction data on crystalline powder samples and amorphous materials.

The latest sagittal crystal installed on Station 16.5 gives the best focus yet and users are experiencing unprecedented intensity on this station allowing further advances in measurements on very dilute systems which is of particular relevance for environmental science studies. The Hotwax detector (a high output gas microstrip detector for wide angle diffraction measurements designed and developed by CCLRC's Instrumentation Department) is now routinely available for combined XAS/diffraction studies on Station 9.3 and is producing data of very high quality for in situ measurements. The installation required the station to be converted to GDA software which was complicated by the wide range of experimental configurations and data acquisition regimes supported on this station, and it turned out to be less than straightforward. However, significant progress has been made in removing difficulties of interacting with different aspects of the hardware and efficiency is now back on track. Our workhorse XAS facility, Station 7.1 was running very well right up until it closed at the end of AP47 and it will be sadly missed. Port 7 has now shut for the last time and Beamline 7 is currently being decommissioned.

October 2007 will see the start of our penultimate user allocation period - AP49. This will be the last period of operation for Station 9.5HPT and Station 16.2SMX. Two further stations (Stations 9.1 and 9.8) will close in the middle of AP50 (summer 2008) leaving only Station 9.3 and Station 16.5 continuing till the end of SRS operations (expected to be December 2008). We are hence anticipating a very uncertain period as staff who have used their many years of experience and expertise to provide excellent support for the user community begin to pursue other careers. We will endeavour to ensure the best possible performance of our facilities during this phase however, and look forward to helping users make the best use of their remaining beamtime.

Graham Bushnell-Wye
Head, Structural & Environmental Chemistry
September 2007


		SRS homepage >> SR Activities >> Structural and Environmental Chemistry College Since the beginning of 2007 we have moved our focus away from significant equipment developments in order to meet our ongoing aim of concentrating on getting the most out of our stations over the remaining life of the SRS, and, as far as possible, to provide facilities that enable the community to compete with researchers worldwide until Diamond takes over as the principal provider to UK SR users. That said, some continuing improvements have now come to fruition. Station 9.5HPT has progressed steadily to provide its expanded user base with even more efficiencies in data collection since the installation of the mar345 in situ image plate. Automated alignment of components can now be achieved remotely with the beam on so avoiding having to keep entering the hutch to make adjustments. Additionally, users are now able to use scripts to collect data between movements (in sample orientation for example) and this in turn leads to the opportunity to collect oscillation data on a single crystal grown from powder inside a high pressure diamond anvil cell. The range of in situ experiments on single crystals (e.g. using an environmental gas cell) carried out on Station 9.8 also continues to grow resulting in a steady stream of high impact publications, whereas Station 16.2SMX works routinely for less demanding single crystal samples and provides a rapid access opportunity for commercial users. Station 9.1 continues to be in high demand for reliable diffraction data on crystalline powder samples and amorphous materials. The latest sagittal crystal installed on Station 16.5 gives the best focus yet and users are experiencing unprecedented intensity on this station allowing further advances in measurements on very dilute systems which is of particular relevance for environmental science studies. The Hotwax detector (a high output gas microstrip detector for wide angle diffraction measurements designed and developed by CCLRC's Instrumentation Department) is now routinely available for combined XAS/diffraction studies on Station 9.3 and is producing data of very high quality for in situ measurements. The installation required the station to be converted to GDA software which was complicated by the wide range of experimental configurations and data acquisition regimes supported on this station, and it turned out to be less than straightforward. However, significant progress has been made in removing difficulties of interacting with different aspects of the hardware and efficiency is now back on track. Our workhorse XAS facility, Station 7.1 was running very well right up until it closed at the end of AP47 and it will be sadly missed. Port 7 has now shut for the last time and Beamline 7 is currently being decommissioned. October 2007 will see the start of our penultimate user allocation period - AP49. This will be the last period of operation for Station 9.5HPT and Station 16.2SMX. Two further stations (Stations 9.1 and 9.8) will close in the middle of AP50 (summer 2008) leaving only Station 9.3 and Station 16.5 continuing till the end of SRS operations (expected to be December 2008). We are hence anticipating a very uncertain period as staff who have used their many years of experience and expertise to provide excellent support for the user community begin to pursue other careers. We will endeavour to ensure the best possible performance of our facilities during this phase however, and look forward to helping users make the best use of their remaining beamtime. Graham Bushnell-Wye Head, Structural & Environmental Chemistry September 2007