X-ray Small-Angle Scattering in the Study of the Structure of Disordered Nanosystems

Abstract

Small-angle scattering (SAS) of X-rays and neutrons is a technique for studying the subatomic structure of condensed matter with a resolution of tenths to hundreds of nanometers, the capabilities of which have grown significantly in recent decades due to the emergence of bright synchrotron radiation sources and laboratory facilities with microfocus sources. The growth of computing power was accompanied by the development of new algorithms and techniques for data analysis, which made SAS one of the most effective methods for studying nanoscale structures. After a brief presentation of the basic principles of SAS for isotropic dispersed nanosystems, some of the most striking examples of such analysis are given: modeling the structure of biological macromolecules in solution, determining the size distributions of inhomogeneities in polydisperse systems, and studying multicomponent systems of nanoparticles of different nature. The SAS method does not require special sample preparation and allows studying objects under conditions close to natural ones, which is especially demanded in the development of nature-like technologies.