Determination of metal-metal distances: significance and accuracy

Nature utilises a variety of metal clusters as catalytic centers. Some of them make use of two or more metals in the catalytic site. The variation of metal-metal distances plays an important role in several processes like charge transfer and weakening of bonds. X-ray absorption spectroscopy can determine these metal-metal distances in several states (crystal, solution or amorphous). However sometimes backscattering from light elements hides the metal-metal contribution to the fine structure. Here we point out significance and accuracy of metal-metal distances in a model system. Therefore a number of different refinement protocols are applied to the data. These protocols will be discussed focusing on the significance and accuracy of the metal-metal distances extracted from the data.