Recent developments in X-ray diffraction/scattering computed tomography for materials science

X-ray diffraction/scattering computed tomography (XDS-CT) methods are a non-destructive class of chemical imaging techniques that have the capacity to provide reconstructions of sample cross-sections with spatially resolved chemical information. While X-ray diffraction CT (XRD-CT) is the most well-established method, recent advances in instrumentation and data reconstruction have seen greater use of related techniques like small angle X-ray scattering CT and pair distribution function CT. Additionally, the adoption of machine learning techniques for tomographic reconstruction and data analysis are fundamentally disrupting how XDS-CT data is processed. The following narrative review highlights recent developments and applications of XDS-CT with a focus on studies in the last five years.This article is part of the theme issue 'Exploring the length scales, timescales and chemistry of challenging materials (Part 2)'.

Automated summary

XDS-CT is a non-destructive chemical imaging technique that provides reconstructions of sample cross-sections with spatially resolved chemical information. Recent advances in instrumentation and data reconstruction have led to the use of related techniques like small angle X-ray scattering CT and pair distribution function CT. Machine learning techniques have also disrupted how XDS-CT data is processed.