PSSP, a computer program for the crystal structure solution of molecular materials from X-ray powder diffraction data

Abstract

This work describes the computer programPSSP(powder structure solution program) for the crystal structure solution of molecular solids from X-ray powder diffraction data. This direct-space structure solution program uses the simulated annealing global optimization algorithm to minimize the difference between integrated intensities calculated from trial models and those extracted in a Le Bail fit of the experimental pattern, using a cost function for dealing with peak overlap through defined intensity correlation coefficients, computationally faster to calculate thanRwp. The methodology outlined is applicable to organic solids composed of moderately complex rigid and flexible molecules, using diffraction data up to relatively low resolution.PSSPperformance tests using 11 molecular solids with six to 20 degrees of freedom are analyzed.