A Comparative Study of Experimental Configurations in Synchrotron Pair Distribution Function

The identification and quantification of amorphous components and nanocrystalline phases with very small crystal sizes, smaller than ~3 nm, within samples containing crystalline phases is very challenging. However, this is important as there are several types of systems that contain these matrices: building materials, glass-ceramics, some alloys, etc. The total scattering synchrotron pair distribution function (PDF) can be used to characterize the local atomic order of the nanocrystalline components and to carry out quantitative analyses in complex mixtures. Although the resolution in momentum transfer space has been widely discussed, the resolution in the interatomic distance space has not been discussed to the best of our knowledge. Here, we report synchrotron PDF data collected at three beamlines in different experimental configurations and X-ray detectors. We not only discuss the effect of the resolution in Q-space, Q(max ins) of the recorded data and Q(max) of the processed data, but we also discuss the resolution in the interatomic distance (real) space. A thorough study of single-phase crystalline nickel used as standard was carried out. Then, selected cement-related samples including anhydrous tricalcium and dicalcium silicates, and pastes derived from the hydration of tricalcium silicate and ye’elimite with bassanite were analyzed.