Diamond anvil cell for a combined X-ray and neutron diffraction study of glycine

High pressure is a powerful thermodynamic tool, like temperature, to vary the properties and structure of materials. X-ray and neutron diffraction can be used to measure certain effects of pressure on a material, with both providing complementary information due to the differences in the nature of their interaction with matter. Typically it has not been possible to measure samples with both using the same pressure cell, due to technical difficulties such as the poor penetration of X-rays and the comparatively low flux of neutron sources. As such it is challenging to ensure that the sample is in exactly the same conditions between measurements, introducing a considerable source of error. We have developed a pressure cell suitable for measurements on both a neutron source, and a conventional X-ray diffractometer. We hope to study the amino acid glycine under pressure.