Bruker AXS announced the launch of the Apex Duo, the first single crystal diffractometer to feature instantaneous and automated X-ray wavelength change, at the American Crystallographic Association
Apex Duo combines a molybdenum (Mo) sealed tube as well as a high-intensity, air-cooled copper (Cu) microfocus tube with the most sensitive CCD detector available.
This unique combination of a microfocus source with a standard sealed tube allows operation of both X-ray sources without any change-over, with typically one source in operation and the other in standby.
This novel approach allows instantaneous, unattended switching of wavelengths without any of the source cold starts of first-generation dual wavelength systems, which could lead to reduced tube lifetimes.
In addition, the advanced Cu microfocus source delivers up to twice the intensity of standard Cu sealed tubes, allowing faster experiments and better data quality.
The Apex Duo's intelligent software allows the user to set up combined experiments for successive data collections using both Cu and Mo wavelengths in a single experiment.
The software automatically changes wavelength and also reconfigures the instrument configuration from one wavelength to the other without any user intervention.
For example, one can acquire Gandolphi images using Cu-radiation and then solve the structure using Mo-radiation.
Michael Ruf, director of chemical crystallography software at Bruker AXS, stated: "We are very excited to introduce this unique system.
"Being able to switch automatically and instantaneously between Mo- and Cu-radiation in one experiment is something crystallographers have been dreaming of.
"No other instrument can perform such a broad range of experiments, from demanding charge density experiments with molybdenum to absolute structure determination on ever smaller organic crystals and to protein screening with copper." The first Apex Duo has recently been installed at the Indiana University Molecular Structure Center in the laboratory of Professor John Huffman.
