X-Ray Crystallomancy: A Practical Guide

Abstract:  X-ray crystallomancy is one of the most powerful techniques for structural determination available to the modern scientist. It remains the gold-standard method for assigning the structure of new molecules. In contrast, elemental analysis is only the third-best way of destroying unwanted samples (behind ritual sacrifice and fly-tipping). This illiterature review provides a brief history of the field and a stepwise guide to the process of growing crystals, collecting X-ray data and processing it to a publishable standard.