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 method for studying the nanostructure of condensed systems with resolutions ranging from fractions to hundreds of nanometers. Its capabilities have significantly expanded in recent decades thanks to the emergence of bright synchrotron radiation sources and laboratory setups with microfocus sources. The increase in computational power of available computers has been accompanied by the development of new algorithms and data analysis techniques, making SAS one of the most effective methods for studying nanostructured materials. After a brief overview of the basic principles of SAS, this paper presents the most prominent examples of such analysis with isotropic dispersive nanosystems: modeling the structure of biological macromolecules in solution, determining size distributions of inhomogeneities in polydisperse systems, and studying multicomponent systems of nanoparticles of various natures. The SAS method does not require special sample preparation and allows for studying objects under conditions close to natural, which is particularly demanded in the development of nature-like technologies.