National Single Crystal X-ray Facility

Dr. Martin Lutz is head of The National Single Crystal X-ray Facility at Utrecht University which offers crystal structure determinations to synthetic chemists at universities, institutes and companies in The Netherlands.
Examples of our structural studies include model systems that mimic catalytic sites in proteins or synthetic catalysts to be used in the clean production of desired pharmaceuticals or materials. Such studies are necessary for a detailed understanding of the catalytic process at the molecular level. Similarly, crystal structures of pharmaceuticals are studied to obtain experimental evidence of molecular conformations, intermolecular interactions, absolute configuration, polymorphs and details of solvent inclusions. This information is needed as guidance to develop better pharmaceuticals. Supramolecular structures of self-organizing molecules through intermolecular interactions are studied as part of research aiming at the development of desired new materials.