ELECTRON DIFFRACTION AND STRUCTURE DETERMINATION (GAS PHASE)

 For determining structures. The diffraction of beams of electrons by atoms

or molecules, specially used
 The first experiments on electron scattering on nickel surfaces, by Davidson
and Kunsman in 1923.
 The advantage of electron diffraction method is that there is little
interference from wavelets originated from different parts of the same
atom.
 Scattering of electrons is effected primilarly by the nucleus and therefore
that method is well adapted for the study of inter-nuclear distances.
 The invention of radial distribution method of interpretation of data gave
additional support to study interatomic distances.

ELECTRON DIFFRACTION IN GAS

A high velocity electron wave intersects a molecular beam at right angles and is
scattered through a solid plane. The resultant intensity of scattering is recorded
on photographic film with alternate dark and white fringes.
 A light from arc lamp is focused on a pinhole and divergent beam is caught in
white screen in a well darkened room. If objects are placed in the beam between
pinhole and the screen, the diffraction pattern is observed.

If dust is scattered in the light, the shadow of each particles is surrounded by

coloured rings. The angle of diffraction depends on wavelength, and short
wavelength are least scattered

THEORITICAL CURVE OF NITROUS OXIDE

Intensity

Radial distribution(r inA0)

The linear molecule nitrous oxide which contain two inter-nuclear distances
(N-N) and (N=O) curve A represents in which the central nitrogen atom lies
midway between two other.
Theoretical curves consist of a superposition of two sine waves, which add
together and produce a more complicated curve.
Curves B-F is variation curves with central atom (N) displaced from its position.
The central arrows, represent the experimental measurements, are drawn
through acceptable curves.
VISUAL METHOD (INTERPRETING PHOTOGRAPH)
A direct method for interpreting the photograph was suggested by Pauling and
Broadway in 1935. The function against r. The Ik are
intensity of maxima and minima of the rings the values of sk are obtained from
measurements of diameter. The figure is shown below

The abscissas of the peaks of the maxima correspond to inter-atomic distances of

molecule. The vertical lines drawn gives the length of distances in the model, the
height of a line is proportional to the coefficients of the corresponding term in the
intensity formula
Electron diffraction inter-nuclear distance inter-planer
Distance unit cell structure