Layers of order-the past, present and future of superspace crystallography

ISSN： 0889-311X

Source： Crystallography Reviews, Vol.16, Iss.2, 2010-04, pp. : 105-114

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Abstract

The importance of having correct structural descriptions is becoming ever clearer, not only in drug discovery research, but also in the development of new advanced materials. Here the key to optimizing properties lies in understanding the structure-property relationships. Without a correct description theoretical calculations will inevitably fail to describe and explain any experimental observations. With increasing complexity of developed materials, modulated structures are likely to make up an increasing proportion of the structures to be investigated in the future. To take up this challenge, a development is needed in three areas of crystallography: The way we teach and what we teach our students; how we think about, and perform our crystallographic investigations; what tools are available, and how we use them. These areas are strongly coupled and any development in one is dependent on progress in the other two.