Structural studies of amorphous solids by small-angle neutron scattering

Sophisticated new methods of preparation developed over the last decade have considerably extended the range and nature of amorphous materials, many of which have a microstructure on a scale of 10–1000 Å. Whilst in some cases this is due to the composition, in others it is a direct result of the preparation technique. This paper reviews the present state of small-angle scattering as a tool to study the microstructure in the four main classes of amorphous materials: bulk glass, metal ribbons, thin films and inorganic gels. The techniques specific to neutron scattering, which have been developed to separate the various components of the scattering curves, are reviewed.