Simultaneous small-angle X-ray scattering and wide-angle X-ray diffraction

The simultaneous SAXS/WAXD technique is shown to provide an unambiguous method for following structural changes taking place during the programmed heating of a range of multiphase polymeric materials. Results are given for polyethylene, block copolyurethanes and block copolyesters containing liquid crystalline hard segments. UK Thermal methods Group Award Lecture     

Molecular gelation mechanism of maltodextrins investigated by wide-angle X-ray scattering

Thermally reversible maltodextrin gels are two-phase systems, composed of disc-like crystalline domains with a diameter of about 300 nm and regions containing amorphous polymer chains and water. The structure of the polysaccharide chains within the lamellae is that of the crystalline B-form of amylose, the polymer chains are arranged in double-stranded helices, which are packed in a hexagonal unit cell (a=b=1.85 nm, c (fiber repeat)=1.04 nm,=120). As revealed by measurements of the excess wide-angle X-ray scattering of the polysaccharide, gelation of the solutions is due to a partial crystallization of the polymer. In non-gelling maltodextrin solutions a crystallinity cannot be detected.     

Small-angle x-ray scattering of distorted lamellar structures

Small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) intensity for the lamellar structure of polymeric materials has been formulated with consideration of structural defects such as the finiteness of the lamellar stack, the lamellar bend, and the paracrystalline distortions. In particular, the effects of the lamellar bend on the SAXS profile have been elucidated on the basis of Vonk'xss formula γ₁(x) – γ(x)exp(?2x/d). Here, the scattering profile due to the lamellar bend is shown to be expressed by a Cauchy function. The integral breadth is equal to 2π/d, being independent of the order of scattering. As an example of the SAXS analysis based on the theory, the characterization of the lamellar structure in the “hard” elastic polypropylene films is reported. The long period and the lamellar thickness are evaluated from the correlation function, and the distortion length and Hosemann's g factor are estimated according to the procedure presented here. On the basis of these structural parameters, the relationship between the manufacturing process and the lamellar structure of the polypropylene films is discussed. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Structural investigation of polyaniline/Nylon 6 blends by small-angle neutron scattering and small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering

The structure of blends of Nylon 6 with deuterated polyaniline emeraldine base (D-PANI-EB) and fully doped D-PANI salts (D-PANI-ES) formed from camphorsulfonic acid (CSA), methanesulfonic acid (MSA), or dodecyl benzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) were investigated by small-angle neutron (SANS) and X-ray scattering. The blends were formed from hexafluoro-2-propanol solutions and had volume fractions of 0.038, 0.20, and 0.40 for D-PANI/CSA, 0.20 and 0.40 for D-PANI/MSA, 0.24 and 0.44 for D-PANI/DBSA, and 0.07, 0.14, and 0.31 for D-PANI-EB. The SANS results are compared with a number of standard models for two-phase systems. No evidence was found for significant molecular mixing. In some cases the inverse power law model is in reasonable agreement with observations, and in the case of the lowest concentration of D-PANI/CSA there is an indication of mass fractal structure. This was not found at the higher concentrations. The results establish that the blends with the smaller more polar dopants CSA and MSA behave similarly and are unlike either the D-PANI/DBSA blends or those with D-PANI-EB. There is evidence that the simple picture of two pure phases is inadequate for these materials. With the exception of the D-PANI/DBSA blend which has a relatively low scattering contrast, the results indicate that the lower limit of volume fraction for application of SANS is a few percent D-PANI-ES in Nylon 6. X-ray scattering was used to demonstrate the presence of Nylon 6 lamellae and residual peaks attributable to the pure components. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35: 2765–2774, 1997     

Analysis of small-angle X-ray scattering from fibers: Structural changes in nylon 6 upon drawing and annealing

The changes in the fibrillar and the lamellar structure in nylon 6 fibers resulting from drawing and annealing were studied by a detailed analysis of their two-dimensional small-angle scattering patterns. The scattering object that gives to rise the diffuse equatorial scattering in the angular range of Q = 0.02 to 0.3 Å⁻¹ is assumed to be a fibril. There are two distinct regimes in the equatorial diffuse scattering. The scattering at Q < 0.1 Å⁻¹ is dominated by scattering due to the longitudinal dimension of the fibril, and that at Q > 0.1 Å⁻¹ to the lateral dimensions/organization of the fibril. The interfibrillar regions, unlike the interlamellar regions that are essentially made of amorphous chain segments, may have microvoids in addition to amorphous chain segments. The intensity distribution within the lamellar reflections was used to obtain the lamellar spacings and the dimension of the lamellar stacks. The length of the fibrils is between 1000 and 3000 Å, the higher values being more prevalent at lower draw ratios. The fibril length is larger than the length of the lamellar stack, and approaches the latter at higher draw ratios. Annealing does not change the lengths of the fibrils, but the length of the lamellar stack increases. The fibrils form crystalline aggregates with a coherence length of ∼200 Å at higher draw ratios. The diameter of the fibrils (50–100 Å) determined from the lamellar reflection using both the Scherrer equation and the Guinier law are consistent with the lateral size of the crystallites derived from wide-angle x-ray diffraction. The longitudinal correlation of the lamellae between the neighboring fibrils improves upon drawing and decreases upon annealing. The degree of fibrillar and lamellar orientation is about the same as the crystalline orientation. Lamellar spacing increases upon drawing (from ∼60 to 95 Å) and annealing (from ∼85 to 100 Å). This is accompanied by an increase in the width of the amorphous domains from 30 to 50 Å in drawn fibers, and from 45 to 55 Å in annealed fibers. The diameter of the fibrils decreases slightly upon drawing and increases considerably upon annealing. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Small-angle X-ray scattering studies of the open and closed conformations of aspartate aminotransferase

Summary Aspartate aminotransferase was investigated by X-ray small-angle scattering. A small difference was found between the open (active) and the closed (liganded) conformation of the enzyme. The results were compared with X-ray crystallography data.

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Untersuchungen zur Röntgenkleinwinkelstreuung der offenen und geschlossenen Konformation von Aspartat-Aminotransferase

Zusammenfassung Aspartat-Aminotransferase wurde mittels Röntgenkleinwinkelstreuung untersucht. Ein kleiner Unterschied zwischen der offenen (aktiven) und der geschlossenen (ligandierten) Konformation wurde gefunden. Die Ergebnisse wurden mit Röntgenkristallstrukturdaten verglichen.

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Abbreviations AspAT aspartate aminotransferase     

Structural changes and chain radius of gyration in cold-drawn polyethylene after annealing: small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering and small-angle neutron scattering studies

Samples made from linear polyethylene were drawn at room temperature and subsequently annealed at high temperatures below the melting point. The structural changes of the crystalline lamellae and lamellar superstructures as well as the single chain radius of gyration were studied by means of combined small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). After drawing, the polymeric chain segments in the crystalline phase are preferentially oriented along the drawing direction with a high degree of orientation whereas the lamellae in the samples are found to be slightly sheared exhibiting oblique surfaces as evidenced by X-ray scattering. SANS indicates that the chains are highly elongated along the drawing direction. Annealing the deformed samples at temperatures where the mechanical alpha-process of polyethylene is active leads to a thickening of both crystalline lamellae and amorphous layers. The chains in the crystalline phase retain their high degree of orientation after annealing while the lamellae are sheared to a larger extent. In addition, there is also lateral growth of the crystalline lamellae during high-temperature annealing. Despite the structural changes of the crystalline and amorphous regions, there is no evidence for global chain relaxation. The global anisotropic shape of the chains is preserved even after prolonged annealing at high temperatures. The results indicate that the mobility of polyethylene chains-as seen, e.g., by 13C NMR-is a local phenomenon. The results also yield new insight into mechanical properties of drawn PE, especially regarding stress relaxation and creep mechanisms.     

Deformation in lamellar and crystalline structures: in situ simultaneous small‐angle X‐ray scattering and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction measurements on polyethylene terephthalate fibers

Changes in the lamellar and crystalline structures were followed as a function of applied stress to understand the influence of the interactions between the crystalline and amorphous domains on the fiber properties. We observed a reversible transformation from a structure giving a four‐point small‐angle pattern to a structure giving a two‐point pattern; these structures corresponded to the lamellae with oblique and normal lamellar surfaces, respectively. The characteristics of these two structures such as the stack diameter, stack height, and tilt angle were different and were determined by the processing conditions and did not change when the fiber was elastically deformed. The structure giving a two‐point pattern was probably the load‐carrying lamellar entity in these fibers. The diameter of the lamellar stacks, tilt angle of the lamellae, and the strain in the lamellar spacing appeared to have the most influence on properties such as tenacity and dimensional stability. The long‐spacing strain, which is about the same as the fiber strain, determined the modulus at low elongation as well as ultimate elongation. These indicate that the lamellar stacks have at least as much influence as the interfibrillar chains on fiber properties. Structural features that determine the performance in semicrystalline polymers were investigated by analyzing four generations of polyethylene terephthalate fibers. Some of the fiber properties correlate with changes in the crystalline domains such as the crystalline orientation, size, and unit cell dimensions. Fibers in which the crystalline strain was large because of their strong linkages to the amorphous chains, and better load transfer, had the highest modulus and lowest ultimate elongation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1538–1553, 2003     

Features of crystallization behavior of natural rubber/halloysite nanotubes composites using synchrotron wide-angle X-ray scattering

The correlation between the mechanical strength and the crystallization behavior of natural rubber (NR)/halloysite nanotubes (HNT) composites is discussed. The tensile strength of NR is improved with the addition of HNT. This improvement is attributed to the unique structure of HNT, which facilitates good dispersion and strong interfacial interaction. HNT also play an important role in assisting the strain-induced crystallization of NR. Crystallization under strain is observed using synchrotron wide-angle X-ray scattering. The stress–strain curves and the corresponding degree of crystallinity after straining provide further evidence. Based on these analyses, a mechanistic model for strain-induced crystallization and the evolution of the orientation of the network structure is proposed.     

Surface area and microporosity of carbon aerogels from gas adsorption and small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements

A carbon aerogel was obtained by carbonization of an organic aerogel prepared by sol-gel polymerization of resorcinol and formaldehyde in water. The carbon aerogel was then CO(2) activated at 800 degrees C to increase its surface area and widen its microporosity. Evolution of these parameters was followed by gas adsorption and small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS, respectively) with contrast variation by using dry and wet (immersion in benzene and m-xylene) samples. For the original carbon aerogel, the surface area, S(SAXS), obtained by SAXS, is larger than that obtained by gas adsorption (S(ads)). The values become nearly the same as the degree of activation of the carbon aerogel increases. This feature is due to the widening of the narrow microporosity in the carbon aerogel as the degree of activation is increased. In addition, WAXS results show that the short-range spatial correlations into the assemblies of hydrocarbon molecules confined inside the micropores are different from those existing in the liquid phase.     

In situ studies: electrochemistry and scattering

Given the global relevance of sustainable energy and energy security, the study of electrochemistry and the development of energy storage devices is a very active area of research. As researchers attempt to overcome issues with current energy storage devices, innovative methods are required to probe deeper into the working mechanisms of devices. The ability to study electrochemistry as it takes place in electrochemical energy storage devices has been enabled by continuous developments in instrumentation, improved accessibility for researchers and also innovations in data collection and cell design. In this short review, we highlight several studies that make use of innovations in data collection, data interpretation, or device design, to study electrochemical energy storage devices using scattering methods.     

Mineral–water interfacial structures revealed by synchrotron X-ray scattering

Chemical reactions occurring at the mineral–water interface are controlled by an interfacial layer, nanometers thick, whose properties may deviate from those of the respective bulk mineral and water phases. The molecular-scale structure of this interfacial layer, however, is poorly constrained, and correlations between macroscopic phenomena and molecular-scale processes remain speculative. The application of high-resolution X-ray scattering techniques has begun to provide substantial new insights into the molecular-scale structure of the mineral–water interface. In this review, we describe the characteristics of synchrotron-based X-ray scattering techniques that make them uniquely powerful probes of mineral–water interfacial structures and discuss the new insights that have been derived from their application. In particular, we focus on efforts to understand the structure and distribution of interfacial water as well as their dependence on substrate properties for major mineral classes including oxides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, silicates, halides and chromates. We compare these X-ray scattering results with those from other structural and spectroscopic techniques and integrate these to provide a conceptual framework upon which to base an understanding of the systematic variation of mineral–water interfacial structures.     

New sights into the electrochemical interface provided by in situ X-ray absorption fine structure and surface X-ray scattering

Various important processes, such as electron transfer reactions, adsorption/desorption, solvation/desolvation, and formation/cleavage of chemical bonds, take place at electrolyte/electrode interfaces during electrocatalytic reactions. Those processes have been understood on the basis of changes in the surface composition, atomic arrangement, and molecular and electronic structures of the interfaces by using various in situ analysis techniques. To date, in situ analysis and observation of those interfacial processes at an ideal single-crystal surface are indispensable not only for fundamental understanding of the reaction mechanism but also for rational design of the highly efficient and durable electrocatalytic materials. Here, historical and recent progress of in situ studies on electrocatalytic reactions is briefly reviewed with a focus on two major techniques, X-ray absorption fine structure and surface X-ray scattering.     

Small-angle X-ray scattering studies of zinc stearate-filled sulfonated poly(ethylene-co-propylene-co-ethylidene norbornene) ionomers

The crystallization, melting, and dissolution behavior of zinc stearate (ZnSt) in ZnSt-filled sulfonated poly(ethylene-co-propylene-co-ethylidene norbornene) (SEPDM) ionomers was studied by synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The melting temperature of ZnSt in the ionomer was considerably lower than in the pure state, which was consistent with the existence of very small ZnSt crystalline domains and a specific interaction between the metal sulfonate groups of the SEPDM and the metal carboxylate groups of ZnSt. Temperature-resolved SAXS showed that, on melting, some or all of the ZnSt rapidly dissolved into the ionomer. Ionic aggregates in the neat ionomer persisted up to 300°C. Microphase separation was also observed at elevated temperatures for the ZnSt-filled ionomers, but the composition of the microdomains was believed to be quite different than that of the microdomains in the neat SEPDM. The time and temperature dependence of the ZnSt crystallization in the filled ionomers was characterized by time-resolved SAXS experiments following a temperature quench from the melt. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 3141–3150, 1999     

Development of nonuniform micropore structure of carbon adsorbents during activation: adsorption and small-angle X-ray scattering studies

The development of the micropore structure of activated carbons during activation was studied by small-angle X-ray scattering and adsorption methods. A new method for the processing of experimental data was used; this method makes it possible to obtain curves of the dimension distribution of micropores from the intensities of small-angle X-ray scattering and the adsorption isotherm. In the initial stage of activation, up to burnouts 0.3, the micropore structure is uniform, micropores with radius of gyration under 0.5–0.6 nm dominate. When activation is more prolonged ( = 0.3÷0.67), a bimodal system withR ₁ ^max 0.6 nm andR ₂ ^max 0.85÷1.0 nm forms, and the volume of large micropores (supermicropores) exceeds that of small ones considerably.Deceased.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 231–235, February, 1994.     

Ultra-small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering study of colloidal dispersions

The ultra-small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering techniques are useful techniques for the investigation of colloidal systems. The very high small-angle resolution of these scattering techniques has provided important and novel information to elucidate the formation mechanism of colloidal crystals. The Bonse–Hart optical system is expected to become a standard tool for investigating mesoscopic structures.     

Liquid structure of benzene and its derivatives as studied by means of X-ray scattering

The liquid structures of benzene, toluene, aniline, benzaldehyde and nitrobenzene were investigated by the X-ray scattering method. The X-ray scattering data were analysed by a method without constructing any structure models. The obtained liquid structure of benzene is different from the previous X-ray scattering results which were derived from the quasi-lattice structure for the liquid based on the crystal structure of benzene. This is because a molecular arrangement which is not found in the crystal structure is left out of consideration. In liquid toluene, benzaldehyde and nitrobenzene, two molecules are associated with the dipole–dipole interaction in the antiparallel fashion. Two aniline molecules are hydrogen-bonded in liquid aniline. The third molecule weakly interacts with the other two in liquid toluene, aniline and benzaldehyde. In liquid nitrobenzene, the parallel dipole–dipole interaction of the third molecule with another one is present in the coplanar form. The substituent effect on the liquid structures is discussed.     

The influence of thermo-hygro-mechanical treatment on the micro- and nanoscale architecture of wood cell walls using small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering

Tracking the changes of cellulose crystallites upon thermo-hygro-mechanical treatment is essential to understand the response of wood cell walls to steam and compression. In this paper the influence of Compression combined with Steam (CS) treatment on wood cellulose crystallites and pores structure of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) was studied under different steaming temperatures and compression ratios. Small-angle X-ray scattering and wide-angle X-ray scattering were used to investigate the changes of cellulose crystallites dimension, aspect ratio, fibril diameter distribution, non-crystalline fraction, the number of chains in each microfibril, as well as the fractal dimension and size of pores in response to CS treatment conditions. Results indicate that the crystallinity increased due to CS treatment, but did not show alteration with varying CS treatment conditions, i.e. seemed nearly unaffected by higher temperatures or compression ratio, both for earlywood and latewood. The cellulose crystallite diameter depended on processing parameters: it increased with increasing treatment temperature. No considerable differences were found for earlywood and latewood. We interpret our findings as a rearrangement of adjacent cellulose chains towards higher crystalline perfection attributing to the increase in crystallinity. The same effect allows a larger coherence length of crystalline order and therefore features an increasing cross-sectional dimension. In general we can state that the CS treatment leads to higher crystallinity and more perfectly arranged cellulose crystals, while it does not greatly affect the microfibril diameter but rather the amorphous regions of the microfibrils and the surrounding hemicellulose and lignin.