Powder Diffraction

The book delves into the evolution of crystal structure analysis using powder diffraction data, highlighting its growing significance since the 1930s. Initially focused on phase analysis, the field expanded in the late 1960s to include crystallographic refinement. Advances in computer technology facilitated profile fitting and pattern decomposition, enabling the extraction of individual intensities from overlapping peaks. This progress has paved the way for a variety of applications, particularly in ab initio structure determination, showcasing the versatility and importance of powder diffraction techniques.