Materials
Synchrotron X-ray Scattering for Phase Identification & Structure Characterisation
Understand and optimize your materials. We provide detailed structural characterisation, quantitative phase analysis, and nanostructure insights based on synchrotron X-ray scattering — on short notice, at any scale.
Three complementary techniques. One workflow.
PXRD
Crystalline phase identification & quantification — active phases, impurities, solid solutions, degradation products, support structures
Total Scattering / PDF
Local atomic structure of nanocrystalline, amorphous, and disordered phases — bond lengths, coordination environments, cluster sizes — no long-range order required
SAXS
Micro- and mesopore structure, phase segregation, particle sizes and distributions in functional materials and composites
Improve confidence in phase identification.
With 2–5× sharper angular resolution than standard lab diffractometers (FWHM ΔQ/Q < 0.003 at 1.5 Å−1), resolve overlapping peaks in complex multi-phase systems that would be ambiguous on lab instruments. Distinguish solid-solution compositions, detect minority phases in supported catalysts, and differentiate structurally similar polymorphs.
Detect crystalline phases down to 0.1–0.01 wt%.
With ~200× better signal-to-noise than standard instrumentation, find trace active phases, impurities, or degradation products that sit below lab detection limits.
Characterize nanocrystalline, amorphous, and disordered phases — not just bulk crystalline ones.
PDF analysis probes local atomic structure independent of crystallinity or crystallite size. Confirm bond lengths, coordination environments, and cluster structures in materials where diffraction peaks are too broad or absent entirely. Quantify domain dimensions and stacking distance in layered materials such as disordered carbons. Differential PDF can isolate the structural signature of deposited species from their support — confirming, for example, whether metal species are atomically dispersed or present as clusters.
Probe microstructure and porosity.
Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) reveals information about particle size distributions, pore structures, and mesoscale organisation in catalysts, electrode materials, nanocomposites, and colloidal systems — providing structural data at the 1–100 nm scale that complements PXRD and PDF.
Get results as fast as 10–21 days.
For sets of up to 1 000 samples, we provide measurements on very short notice. Larger sample sets may take 4–6 weeks.
Send samples today for rapid analysis.
We have regularly scheduled beamtimes and high-throughput capacity, so your structural data keeps pace with development timelines.
Scale analysis to your project — not to the limits of the lab.
Whether you need to measure 5 samples for a quick phase check or 5 000 for a full combinatorial screening campaign, the workflow stays the same, the quality stays the same, and turnaround remains reliable.
What does this mean for your R&D?
Catalyst development (PXRD + PDF + SAXS)
Identify and quantify active phases, support structures, and promoter phases across your catalyst library. For nanoparticle catalysts, PDF reveals the local structure of species that are invisible to lab diffraction — distinguishing oxide phases, metallic clusters, and bimetallic compositions even at ultrasmall sizes (1–5 nm) and low loadings. Correlate structural parameters such as domain size, strain, & coordination environment with catalytic performance. Differential PDF can confirm whether metal sites are atomically dispersed or aggregated into clusters. SAXS can provide information about porosity or distribution of clusters on the support.
Battery materials (PXRD + PDF)
Track phase purity, solid-solution boundaries, and degradation phases across cathode and anode development campaigns. Quantify all phases present via Rietveld refinement. Analyse target materials in detail, e.g., antisite defects in NMCs, domain dimensions and stacking distance in hard carbon anodes, structuring in solid-state electrolytes. PDF extends this to disordered or nanocrystalline components that influence electrochemical performance but evade standard diffraction analysis. Map phase evolution across composition space, cycling conditions, or processing parameters at scale.
Chemicals & process development (PXRD ± PDF)
Understand what solid phases form, transform, or persist through your chemical process. Track effects of crystallisation, drying, calcination, or milling outcomes quantitatively. Detect process-induced disorder, undesired phases, or unreacted precursor. When your product is intentionally amorphous or nanocrystalline, PDF enables the structural characterisation that diffraction alone cannot.
Advanced & functional materials (all methods)
Ceramics, glass-ceramics, nanocomposites, energy storage materials, thermoelectrics, magnetic materials — any system where phase composition and local structure control functional properties. Quantify short-range order, nanostructure, and microstructure to understand how properties connect to processing.
Quality control & production monitoring (PXRD)
Ongoing phase purity checks for manufactured materials. Detect batch-to-batch variability, off-spec phases, or degradation. 12-month credit-based purchasing available for recurring programs.
Use Cases
How it works
Scope
30 min discussion of your goals
Purpose
Discuss your materials challenges and plan the right combination of methods.
Scope
5–50 samples
Purpose
Validate sensitivity and applicability for your specific materials and questions.
Scope
50–5 000 samples
Purpose
Development campaigns. Screening programs. Process optimisation. Ongoing QC.
All data are validated via NIST reference standards, delivered with complete experimental and data processing documentation, and handled under strict client confidentiality. We routinely work under NDAs, and all project data remains proprietary to you.
Sample Requirements
Return on Investment
Battery Materials — Cathode / Anode Development
NMC, LFP, silicon-carbon anodes, solid-state electrolytes — every generation demands atomic-level understanding of phase evolution. We deliver it at scale.
Catalyst Development — Structure-Activity Correlation
Supported nanocatalysts exhibit heterogeneous structures — size distributions, composition gradients, complex support interfaces. Lab diffraction often returns only the support signal. Our combined PXRD + PDF approach resolves the phases that matter.
800+ industry customers and research groups use Momentum Transfer.
We operate at ESRF and DESY, two of Europe’s highest-brilliance synchrotron facilities. Founded by materials experts from BASF and the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, we bring industrial-grade reliability and deep application expertise to materials characterisation. Our team combines decades of experience in XRD and PDF analysis with hands-on synchrotron experience across major European and US facilities.
Nanocatalyst_Phase_Analysis_Clean.pdfReady to see what’s in your materials?
Book a free 30-minute consultation. Discuss your project scope, sample types, and turnaround needs directly with our team.