Benchmarking a modern laboratory-based powder diffraction instrument for in situ studies in transmission geometry

In situ X-ray scattering experiments, to study structure–function relationships in materials, have traditionally relied on bright synchrotron X-rays to resolve fast dynamic phenomena and efficiently probe structure as a function of environmental variables. However, recent technological advances have expanded the utility of laboratory-based diffraction instruments. Here we demonstrate how a modern laboratory-based X-ray diffraction instrument, equipped with a photon-counting area detector (EIGER2) and microfocus Mo X-ray source (Incoatec IµS), can effectively complement synchrotrons, bridging the gap between the time resolution of synchrotron-based experiments and what can be achieved in house. Specifically, the ability to acquire quantitative powder diffraction data within 2–3 min enables time-resolved studies of dynamic processes and efficient parametric studies on timescales suitable for solid-state transformations. The transmission measurement geometry using an area detector parallels that used at synchrotrons, allowing complex experiments and new sample environment developments to be prototyped in house before being transferred to synchrotron beamlines for powder diffraction and/or pair distribution function analysis.