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The Scherrer equation versus the 'Debye-Scherrer equation'

Nature Nanotechnology volume 6, page 534 (2011)Cite this article

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X-ray diffraction is a convenient method for determining the mean size of single-crystal nanoparticles or crystallites in nanocrystalline bulk materials. The first scientist to investigate the effect of limited particle size on X-ray diffraction patterns was Paul Scherrer, who published his results in a paper that included what became known as the Scherrer equation1. However, it seems to us that this equation is often erroneously referred to as the 'Debye–Scherrer equation'. (Indeed, strictly speaking, there is no Debye-Scherrer equation.) We would, therefore, like to recall some relevant historical facts to illuminate the origins of the Scherrer equation, and to assist authors in citing the appropriate equations and references in future work.

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References

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  1. European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Health and Consumer Protection, I-21027 Ispra (VA), Italy,

    Uwe Holzwarth & Neil Gibson

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  1. Uwe Holzwarth
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  2. Neil Gibson
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Correspondence to Uwe Holzwarth or Neil Gibson.

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Holzwarth, U., Gibson, N. The Scherrer equation versus the 'Debye-Scherrer equation'. Nature Nanotech 6, 534 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2011.145

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