Combining EXAFS and X-ray powder diffraction to solve structures containing heavy atoms

Determination of structures using X-ray powder diffraction is complicated if the reflection intensities are mainly influenced by the scattering from heavy atoms and the atomic coordinates of light atoms remain uncertain. A method like EXAFS, which is sensitive to short range order, gives reliable atomic distances in the surroundings of heavy atoms with a precision of ± 0.02 Å. The probability for obtaining the complete structure from X-ray powder diffraction increases if one includes parameters derived from EXAFS measurements as restraints during the procedure of structure solving. We demonstrate the potential of combining EXAFS and X-ray powder diffraction by solving the structure UO2[H2AsO4]2×H2O. The procedure starts with the determination of space group and cell parameters from XRD powder data. In a second step the absolute values of the structure factor |F| are separated by iterating a decomposition formula. The heavy atom positions are determined by direct methods. In the third step atomic distances of coordination polyhedra are estimated using EXAFS. Subsequently, the complete coordination geometries around the heavy atoms including reliable distances are used as restraints in the structure solving and refinement procedure.