Structural analysis of complex materials using the atomic pair distribution function — a practical guide

Modern materials and their properties are often characterized by varying degrees of disorder. Routine crystallographic structure solution only reveals the average structure. The study of Bragg and diffuse scattering yields the local atomic arrangements holding the key to understanding increasingly complex materials. In this paper we review the pair distribution function technique used to unravel the local structure. We aim to give a practical overview and make this method easily accessible to the wider scientific community.