The crystal structure of two chain functionalized pyrroles, methyl 1-benzyl-5-(1-(4-chlorobenzoyloxy)-2-methoxy-2-oxoethyl)-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylate and methyl 1-benzyl-4-(biphenyl-4-yl)-5-(1-(4-biphenylcarbonyloxy)-2-methoxy-2-oxoethyl)-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylate, which are both important active candidates as antitumoral agents, have been obtained ab initio from synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data. Both compounds crystallize in the monoclinic system (space group P21/c), with a = 20.2544(3) Å, b = 6.80442(9) Å, c = 21.1981(3) Å, β = 111.6388(9)° and a = 29.7747(6) Å, b = 6.27495(14) Å, c = 18.8525(3) Å, β = 107.053(2)°, respectively. These structures were determined using a direct space approach, by means of Monte Carlo technique, followed by Rietveld refinement.

The crystal structure of tin (II) sulphate, SnSO4, was obtained by Rietveld refinement using synchrotron high-resolution powder X-ray diffraction (HRPXRD) data. The structure was refined in space group Pbnm. The unit-cell parameters for SnSO4 are a = 7.12322(1), b = 8.81041(1), c = 5.32809(1) Å, and V = 334.383(1) Å3. The average 〈Sn–O〉 [12] distance is 2.9391(4) Å. However, the Sn2+cation has a pyramidal [3]-coordination to O atoms and the average 〈Sn–O〉 [3] = 2.271(1) Å. If Sn is considered as [12]-coordinated, SnSO4 has a structure similar to barite, BaSO4, and its structural parameters are intermediate between those of BaSO4 and PbSO4. The tetrahedral SO4 group has an average 〈S–O〉 [4] = 1.472(1) Å in SnSO4. Comparing SnSO4 with the isostructural SrSO4, PbSO4, and BaSO4, several well-defined trends are observed. The radii, rM, of the M2+(=Sr, Pb, Sn, and Ba) cations and average 〈S–O〉 distances vary linearly with V because of the effective size of the M2+cation. Based on the trend for the isostructural sulphates, the average 〈Sn–O〉 [12] distance is slightly longer than expected because of the lone pair of electrons on the Sn2+cation.

The Nd1.7Ba0.3Ni0.9Cr0.1O4+δ polycrystalline sample was synthesized by the sol–gel process and a subsequent annealing at 1523 K in 1 atm of flowing argon. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and electrical transport properties have been investigated as well. The oxygen non-stoichiometry was determined by iodometric titration. The sample shows adoption of the K2NiF4-type structure based on a tolerance factor calculation. Rietveld refinement of the crystal structure from X-ray powder diffraction data confirmed that Nd1.7Ba0.3Ni0.9Cr0.1O4+δ adopts the tetragonal structure (space group I4/mmm, Z = 2). The room temperature unit-cell parameters are determined to be a = 3.82515(2) and c = 12.47528(6) Å. The reliability factors are: RB = 0.043, Rwp = 0.012 and χ2 = 3.00. The Nd1.7Ba0.3Ni0.9Cr0.1O4+δ compound exhibits a semi-conductive behaviour. The electrical transport mechanism has been investigated and it agrees with the adiabatic small polaron hopping model in the temperature range 313 K ≤ T ≤ 708 K.

To enable mechanical milling of small (0.1–1.0 g) samples, a cylindrical grinding vessel machined from polypropylene and furnished with tungsten carbide rods has been designed and produced for use inside the conventional jar of a McCrone Micronizing Mill. The vessel is about one-seventh the volume of the conventional jar supplied by the manufacturer. The conditions of milling for both the conventional and the miniaturized-grinding assemblies were tested using quartz sand as a limiting case. The median grain sizes of the resultant powders were measured by an X-ray gravitational-sedimentation method, with contamination from the grinding media measured by Rietveld refinement and by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The use of tungsten carbide grinding elements permits rapid wet milling of a small sample to the same median grain size in about one-third of the time required by a regular sample ground in corundum. The relative contamination (by tungsten carbide on a weight basis) using the miniaturized-grinding assembly is about 6(1)% of the proportion of corundum contamination yielded by the conventional grinding assembly.

The effectiveness of different routes of equal channel angular pressing (A, Bc, and C) is studied for commercially pure copper. The stored energy and the activation energy of recrystallization for the deformed samples were quantified using differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction line profile analysis. Results of the study revealed that the dislocation density and the stored energy are higher in the case of route Bc deformed sample. The activation energy for recrystallization is lower for route Bc.

X-ray powder diffraction data, unit-cell parameters, and space group for a novel platinum-based anticancer complex cis-[dibromo(1R,2R)-1, 2-diaminocyclohexane-κN, κN′]platinum(II), cis-Pt(C6H14N2)Br2, are presented [a = 11.862(4) Å, b = 7.222(3) Å, c = 13.353(2) Å, β = 97.813(7)°, cell volume V = 1133,36 Å3, Z = 4, space group P21]. All measured lines were indexed and are consistent with the P21 space group. No detectable impurities were observed.

X-ray powder diffraction data, unit-cell parameters, and space group for the holmium nitrate pentahydrate Ho(NO3)3•5H2O are reported [a = 6.642(8) Å, b = 9.55(2) Å, c = 10.56(2) Å, α = 63.672(1)°, β = 84.622(2)°, γ = 76.085(2)°, unit-cell volume V = 582,74 Å3, Z = 2, space group P-1]. Ho(NO3)3•5H2O is isostructural with ytrium nitrate pentahydrate (PDF 01-75-2104) (ICDD, 2011). All measured lines were indexed and are consistent with the P-1 space group. No detectable impurities were observed.

X-ray powder diffraction data, unit-cell parameters and space group for trimethylene carbonate, C4H6O3, are reported [a = 6.145(1) Å, b = 11.328(3) Å, c = 6.900(2) Å, β = 99.067(4)°, unit-cell volume V = 474.33 Å3, Z = 4 and space group P21/n]. All measured lines were indexed and are consistent with the P21/n space group. No detectable impurity was observed.

The compound O-acryloylated 2,3-dihydrobenzo[b]furan-5-ol (2) described in the title (chemical formula C19H18O4) was synthesized through the acryloylation reaction in anhydrous dichloromethane from the corresponding trans-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-methyl-2,3-dihydrobenzo[b]furan-5-ol derivative (1), an adduct easily obtained using the Lewis acid-promoted formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction. Molecular characterization was performed by Fourier Transform-Infrared (FT-IR), Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), 1H and 13C NMR and crystallographic characterization was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD) of polycrystalline samples. The title compound crystallized in a monoclinic system and unit-cell parameters are reported [a = 8.067(2) Å, b = 8.803(2) Å, c = 22.405(5) Å, β = 91.62(3)°, unit-cell volume V = 1590.7(6) Å3 and Z = 4]. All measured lines were indexed with the P21/c (No. 14) space group.

X-ray powder diffraction data, unit-cell parameters and space group for a rare natural organic mineral refikite, C20H32O2, abiet-13(15)-en-18-oic acid, are reported [a = 22.55(2) Å, b = 10.469(6) Å, c = 7.930(9) Å, unit-cell volume V = 1871.82 Å3, Z = 4 and space group P21212]. All measured lines were indexed and are consistent with the P21212 space group. No detectable impurities were observed.