Cryo-crystallography: Diffraction at low temperature and more

This chapter comments on the motivations and the methods of crystallographic studies at low temperature. Cry-crystallography is a brunch of Crystallography, a science that is too often confused with a technique. On the other hand, the scientific background to study crystal phases at low temperature is here provided, together with a survey of many possible techniques that provide complementary or supplementary information. Several applications are discussed, in particular in relation with highly accurate studies like electron density determination or phase transition mechanisms. © 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin-Heidelberg.