Single-Crystal Neutron Diffraction Study of Pseudo Single Crystal Prepared from Microcrystalline Powder

Single-crystal neutron diffraction analysis of an L-alanine pseudo single crystal (PSC, it composite in which microcrystals are aligned three-dimensionally) prepared front its powder is presented. Microcrystals of L-alanine were suspended in an ultraviolet-curable resin precursor and subjected to three-dimensional magnetic alignment, followed by consolidation of the resin precursor to fix the achieved alignment. A cylindrical PSC of diameter ca. 8 mm and height 10 mm was obtained and then subjected to neutron diffraction measurements. Pole figures measured in 2 theta values corresponding to (040), (120), and (002) planes showed sharp peaks, demonstrating three-dimensional alignment of microcrystals. 2 theta scans were performed for 31 diffraction peaks whose intensities showed good agreement with calculation results. The present study showed the potential use of the PSC method in single-crystal neutron diffraction analysis when large crystal is not available.