The X-ray Crystallography Center was fully renovated in November 2007 and houses two single-crystal X-ray diffraction systems, a brand-new Bruker Kappa APEX DUO diffractometer and a Rigaku HighFlux Homelab diffractometer, providing X-ray diffraction tools for structural characterization of both small molecules (organic, inorganic and organometallic) and macromolecules. X-ray structure analysis of small-molecule are conducted primarily on single crystals submitted by researchers in the department. As an extension service, the facility also accepts sample submissions from other departments within the university and from research organizations outside the university.
Students are encouraged to learn to operate the instrumentation, collect data themselves, and solve their own structures. Practical training, supervision, advice, and assistance are provided by the facility director. The art and science of X-ray crystallography are introduced as a graduate/undergraduate course. Graduate students and post-docs who have completed in-house training may work independently. Undergraduate students generally work directly with the facility director.
Service
The X-Ray Crystallography Center operates on a 24/7 schedule.
Service is provided for all aspects of small molecule crystallography:
- Crystallization
- Sample examination and evaluation (optical and diffraction)
- Data collection and reduction
- Structure solution and refinement
- Presentation graphics preparation
- Preparation of tables and cif files for publication
- File submission to the Cambridge Structural Database™
Turn around time is highly dependent on crystal quality and size.
Link to Documents and Useful Links:
Standard Operation for Beginners
X-ray Safety Information
Boston College Radiation Safety
Request form for crystal structure determination
Manuals, Notes, and Useful Links
Smart Apex User Manual
Bruker-AXS
Shelx-97 manual
CIF file help
International table of crystallography, full text available on BC library website
Book: Crystal Structure Refinement: A Crystallographer's Guide to SHELXL, Dr. P. Müller
Getting crystals Your Crystallographer will Treasure, Dr. R. Staples
Guide to grow crystals, Dr. J. Reibenspies
American Crystallographic Association
Complete Facility Description
Small Molecule Diffractometer
Biomacromolecule Diffractometer
Complete X-Ray Crystallography Center Description
1. Small Molecule Diffractometer
The facility maintains a state-of-the-art Bruker Kappa Apex Duo fully automated single crystal diffractometer, duo wavelength system with sealed molybdenum tube and high brightness copper source, first of its kind in New England area. This system can obtain charge density quality data with Mo radiation and exploit all the advantages of Cu wavelength for absolute structure determination and diffraction experiments on ever smaller organic crystals. Low temperature device used is an Oxford 700 series Cryostream system with temperature range of 80-400 K. An Olympus SZ1145 stereo zoom microscope is used to view and mount crystals. The X-ray Crystallographic Facility also includes a Crystal Growth Laboratory, equipped to aid students in obtaining crystals suitable for structure determination.
The facility has two Dell Precision workstations for data collection, structure solution and refinement. Software packages include APEX2, TWINABS, CELL_NOW, ROTAX, PLATON, WINGX, and a license for the Cambridge Structural Database™ (CSD).
2. Biomacromolecule Diffractometer
The facility maintains a macromolecular crystallography system consisting of a Rigaku MicroMax-07 HF high intensity microfocus rotating Cu anode X-ray generator, coupled with Osmic VariMax Optics and a R-Axis IV++ image plate area detector. In addition, an Oxford Cryojet system is installed for low temperature capabilities (90 – 300 K). This state of the art system enables high-resolution data collection on a wide range of protein crystal samples, including small and poorly diffracting samples with large unit cell dimensions. The Facility also operates two constant temperature rooms for crystal growth and sample preparation.
Associated computational and graphics equipments include several servers and workstations running Windows or Linux. Software packages include RigakuMSC's CrystalClear, HKL-2000, CNS and CCP4.
