Analysis of orientation fluctuation in fluids by small angle X-ray scattering

The small angle X-ray scattering of molecular fluids contains information on particular aspects of their orientational order. Examples are given for the case of the isotropic, nematic and cholesteric phases of mesogenic molecules. It is shown that the distribution of the molecular centers relative to the direction defined by the molecular long axes can be analysed by means of small angle X-ray scattering. An approximate expression for the circulation correlation function is given.     

Small angle neutron scattering from steels

Summary By small angle neutron scattering from steels valuable quantitative parameters of the microstructure can be obtained in a non-destructive way. Various features of this method are discussed. Microstructural results are presented which were obtained from neutron scattering experiments with neutron-irradiated pressure vessel steel, with a creep-tested super alloy and transformer sheets.

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Zusammenfassung Wertvolle quantitative Parameter der Mikrostruktur können durch Neutronen-Kleinwinkelstreuung an Stählen gewonnen werden. Die Methode ist dabei zerstörungsfrei. Weitere Charakteristika werden erläutert. Beispielhaft werden Ergebnisse zur Mikrostruktur vorgestellt, die aus Neutronen-Streuexperimenten mit neutronen-bestrahltem Druckwasserstahl, mit Superlegierungen aus Zeitstandversuchen und mit Transformator-Blechen erhalten wurden.

     

Controllable immobilization of proteins in quenched spherical polyelectrolyte brushes as observed by fluorescence spectroscopy and small angle X-ray scattering

The immobilization of lysozymes (pI = 11) onto anionic spherical polyelectrolyte brushes (SPB) which consist of a solid polystyrene core and a densely grafted poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) shell was systematically studied by fluorescence spectroscopy and small angle X-ray scattering. Results show that the capture of lysozyme by PSS brush is a dynamic process, which involves a quick agglomeration stage and a slow rearrangement one. And lysozyme inclines to immobilize in the inner layer of the brush, and saturation of lysozyme adsorption onto the SPB is gradually reached as the protein concentration increases, proceeding from the inside to the outside of the brush layers. As increasing the pH and ionic strength, the lysozyme previously adsorbed will be partially released and migrate from the inner to the outer layer of SPB. Last competitive adsorption tests between lysozyme and BSA or β-glucosidase were performed, indicating that besides electrostatic interaction counterion release force also plays an important role in protein adsorption. SPB was proved to be ideal candidate for controllable immobilization of protein, which can be extended into various applications, such as drug delivery and protein separation. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2018 , 56, 1577–1588     

Characteristic lengths and the structure of salt free polyelectrolyte solutions. A small angle neutron scattering study

We have studied salt free semi dilute polyelectrolyte solutions by small angle neutron scattering. Specific labelling associated with an extrapolation method has allowed the separation of the form factor of a single polyelectrolyte chainS ₁(q) and the structure factorS ₂(q). Two lengths are deduced from these two factors: the persistence lengthb _t which characterizes the electrostatic interactions along the chain by a fitting ofS ₁(q) with calculation of the scattering function for a wormlike chain, and fromS ₂(q),q _m ^–1 which characterizes the interactions between chains. These two lengths vary in the same way with the concentration of polyions (b _t C _p ^–1/2 ,q _m ^–1 C _p ^–1/2 ) and a constant relation exists between them: only one length is then necessary to describe the structure of polyelectrolyte soltuion on this semidilute concentration range.Laboratoire Commun CEA-CNRS.     

Small angle scattering of partially oriented polymers

Summary A general method for the calculation of the small angle scattering pattern of partially oriented polymers with rotational symmetry about the fiber axis is explained. The method can be used with widely varying models for the basic scattering unit.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird eine allgemeine Methode zur Berechnung des Kleinwinkelstreudiagramms von partiell orientierten Polymeren mit Rotationssymmetrie bezüglich der Faserachse angegeben. Als Modell für die streuende Grundeinheit können die verschiedensten Strukturen verwendet werden.

     

Resonant soft X-ray scattering in polymer science

Resonant soft X-ray scattering (RSoXS) is an emerging, powerful technique to probe the nano-to-mesoscale structure of polymers and other molecules. It joins together small-angle X-ray scattering (a statistical nanoprobe) with X-ray spectroscopy that brings with it unique chemical and bond-orientation sensitivity. Through over a decade of discovery and development, RSoXS is moving from a niche technique applied to organic electronic thin films to a mature tool applicable to a plethora of polymeric and molecular systems, encompassing new modalities, analyses, and simulation methods. This development promises to deliver increasingly quantitative answers to challenging questions in polymer science as well as expand its usefulness to complementary fields. This review presents a full synopsis of the technique, including background on the theoretical underpinnings, measurement best practices, and examples of recent RSoXS applications and discoveries provided here to accelerate the transition to a broader range of soft matter and polymeric fields.     

Tetraalkylammonium bromides in methanol: Small angle neutron scattering and vapor pressure measurements

Vapor pressure measurements and small angle scattering (SANS) experiments are reported and discussed for bispiperidinium (BP) bromide and n-tetrapentylammonium bromide solutions in methanol at 25°C. The BP⁺ ion which may be considered as a tetraalkylammonium (TAA) ion with pairwise connected alkyl chains, is used for the study of the effects due to flexible TAA alkyl chains. SANS intensities are calibrated with the help of the precise osmotic coefficients from the vapor pressure measurements.     

Characterization of Nano-Scale Parallel Lamellar Defects in RDX and HMX Single Crystals by Two-Dimension Small Angle X-ray Scattering

Nano-scale crystal defects extremely affect the security and reliability of explosive charges of weapons. In this work, the nano-scale crystal defects of 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane (RDX) and octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) single crystals were characterized by two-dimension SAXS. Deducing from the changes of SAXS pattern with sample stage rotating, we firstly found the parallel lamellar nano-scale defects in both RDX and HMX single crystals. Further analysis shows that the average diameter and thickness of nano-scale lamellar defects for RDX single crystal are 66.4 nm and 19.3 nm, respectively. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicate that the lamellar nano-scale defects distribute along the (001) in RDX and the (011) in HMX, which are verified to be the crystal planes with the lowest binding energy by the theoretical calculation.     

CdSe quantum dots in chiral smectic C matrix: experimental evidence of smectic layer distortion by small and wide angle X-ray scattering and subsequent effect on electro-optical parameters

CdSe quantum dots (QDs) dispersed ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) has been subjected to small and wide-angle X-ray scattering and atomic force microscopy to understand the molecular organization in chiral smectic C (SmC*) phase. SAXS indicates that the presence of QDs causes enhancement in the smectic layer separation. The smectic order parameter for neat FLC and FLC–QDs mixtures is obtained in the range of 0.6 to 0.85. Both smectic order parameter and structural tilt are found to be lesser for FLC–QDs mixtures as compared to neat FLC. The insertion of QDs in SmC* matrix causes localized smectic layer distortion in such a way that spontaneous polarization remains almost the same but the electro-optic switching of molecules becomes faster. We have outlined the superiority of FLC–QDs mixtures for electrical energy storage and their suitability in electronic devices.     

Small angle scattering of partially oriented polymers: model calculations with monoclinic macrolattice

A three-dimensional monoclinic paracrystalline macrolattice is used to calculate the small angle X-ray scattering pattern of partially oriented polymers with rotational symmetry about the fiber axis. The influence of the crystallite size, the lattice parameters, the lattice distortions and the orientation relative to the fiber axis on the diffraction patterns is studied.Dedicated to Prof. R. Bonart on the occasion of his 60th birthday.     

Grazing-incidence transmission small angle X-ray scattering from thin films of block copolymers

Thin films of lamellar and cylindrical block copolymers are popular systems for low-cost nanolithography. To be useful as nanoscale templates, the lamellae or cylinders must be oriented perpendicular to the substrate. Domain orientations are usually characterized by microscopy measurements of the film surface, but these techniques cannot detect tilted, bent, or tortuous domains in the film interior. We report a simple method to quantify out-of-plane disorder in thin films of block copolymers based on a variant of grazing-incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GI-SAXS). A typical GI-SAXS experiment illuminates the center of a substrate-supported film at a grazing angle of incidence (near the film/substrate critical angle), and the strong reflected signal is interpreted with the distorted-wave Born approximation. In a new approach, the beam footprint is moved to the far edge of the sample, allowing the acquisition of a transmission pattern. The grazing-incidence transmission data are interpreted with the simple Born approximation, and out-of-plane defects are quantified through analysis of crystal truncation rods and partial Debye-Scherrer rings. Significantly, this study demonstrates that grazing-incidence transmission small angle X-ray scattering can detect and quantify the buried defect structure in thin films of block copolymers. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013     

Electrochemical determination of standard thermodynamic parameters characterizing resolvation of Cu2+ cations in water-acetone mixtures

Standard thermodynamic parameters characterizing the resolvation of the Cu²⁺ ions and the surface potential at the gas-phase/acetone interface, Δχ^Me ₂ ^CO, are determined on the basis of the results of measuring compensating voltages of the Volta circuits by the Kenrick method at 298.15 K and the value of the surface potential at the nonaqueous-solvent/gas phase interface, Δχ _H2O ^S , which was obtained earlier. A comparison of thermodynamic parameters characterizing the resolvation of the copper ions with similar quantities for the calcium and cadmium ions is performed. Specific features pertaining to the solvation of copper ions in a mixed water-acetone solvent are elucidated and the effect of the composition and nature of the mixed solvent on the quantities obtained is determined. A dependence of variations in the thermodynamic parameters characterizing the resolvation of cations on their charge and crystallographic radius is established. The dependence corresponds to the series K⁺, Ca²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺.     

Characteristics of AOT Microemulsion Structure: a Small Angle X-ray Scattering Study

The structure of micelles has attracted renewed attention during the past decade years due to the widespread use of microemulsions in technology1 and life science1,2. To obtain information of the micellar structure, using X-ray scattering (SAXS) whose wavelength is close to the size of the micellar aggregates is one of the most direct method3-5 and SAXS has been proved to be very sensitive for the change of micellar composition6,7. SAXS experiments have been carried out to compare the st…     

小角X光散射表征分散液中Nafion的微观结构

利用小角X光散射研究了全氟磺酸离子聚合物Nafion膜在不同比例的氮甲基甲酰胺和正丁醇混合溶剂中分散形成分散液的微观结构。 研究表明,主链刚性和主-侧链亲疏水性的协同作用使分散液中的Nafion呈典型的棒状胶束结构。 胶束的等效回转半径(R_g)对Nafion质量浓度表现出-0.42的标度,与聚电解质在无盐溶剂中的理论标度一致;而胶束间相关长度对Nafion质量浓度表现出-0.13的标度,与典型的中性聚合物溶液理论标度一致。 极性低的正丁醇促进Nafion主链溶剂化并利于长胶束形成,而极性高的氮甲基甲酰胺则能促进Nafion分散。 该研究将为理解Nafion分散液的性质以及湿法制备Nafion膜的微结构形成提供清晰指导。     

Small‐angle neutron scattering analysis of bottlebrush backbone and side chain flexibility

Bottlebrush polymers have densely tethered side chains grafted to a linear polymer backbone, resulting in stretching of both the side chains and backbone. Prior studies have reported that the side chains are only weakly stretched while the backbone is highly elongated. Here, scaling laws for the bottlebrush backbone and side chains are determined through small‐angle neutron scattering analysis of a systematic series of poly(lactic acid) bottlebrush polymers synthesized via a “grafting‐through” ring‐opening polymerization. Scattering profiles are modeled with the empirical Guinier–Porod, rigid cylinder, and flexible cylinder models. Side chains are found to be only weakly stretched, with an end‐to‐end distance proportional to N^0.55, while the overall bottlebrush increases in size proportional to N^0.77. These results demonstrate that the bottlebrush backbone is not fully extended and that both side chains and backbone have significant conformational flexibility in solution. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 104–111     

X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy of Dynamics in Thermosensitive Gels

Summary : Temperature-sensitive hydrogels undergo a volume phase transition (VPT) when heated above a critical temperature T_c. For the poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPA)-water system, T_c. = 34 °C. Below T_c the gels are transparent and highly swollen. On warming above T_c they promptly turn white and start to deswell. The rate of deswelling, however, can be orders of magnitude slower than that of swelling below T_c. The unstable intermediate structure above T_c, can retain the solvent and conserve the sample volume for may days, even with millimetre-sized samples. Light scattering observations of the internal structure of these gels above T_c are precluded by their strong turbidity. Small angle X-ray scattering measurements (SAXS), on the other hand, are less subject to multiple scattering as X-rays penetrate more easily into the bulk material. Conventional (incoherent) SAXS observations reveal intense scattering from smooth internal water-polymer interfaces with an estimated surface area of about 7 m²/g in the swollen gel. The dynamics in the off-equilibrium high temperature state, investigated by X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS), displays a relaxation rate that is linearly proportional to the wavevector q, rather than to q² as in diffusion processes. The physical origin of this relaxation is consistent with jamming, a phenomenon that is common in other disordered systems.     

应用弦长度分布函数研究中孔分子筛的精细结构

弦长度分布(chord length distribution, 简称CLD)可以用来描述几何对象(球形颗粒、柱状孔、薄片等)的大小、形状和空间排布等特点. 原理上, 弦长度分布正比于由小角散射所得的相关函数的二次微分, 因此可以由相对散射强度进行计算. 在结构研究中, 将实验所得弦长度分布与理论计算某种确定几何体所得高度准确的弦长度分布进行比较, 可以获知对象的特征几何结构. 本文以中孔氧化硅分子筛为研究对象, 介绍了弦长度分布的计算方法, 以此精确计算了中孔分子筛的孔径分布, 得到了分子筛表面有机官能化对孔径的影响规律.