Small-Angle X-ray Scattering

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Many research groups of the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy at the University of Münster, including the Gröschel group, deal with the synthesis and characterization of functional nanomaterials built from synthetic, biological and inorganic components. The Gröschel group thereby focuses on block copolymer nanostructures in bulk, thin films and solutions, as well as polymer-based mesoporous materials, polymer / metal hybrids, nanostructured colloids, and nanoparticle crystals. The acquisition of a small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) system is intended to close a gap in the methods used by the Gröschel group for structure characterization. Analysis of the superstructures involves measurements of the intermediate and final structure on different length scales in the range of 1-300 nm, which requires SAXS and wide-angle (WAXS) detection with ultra-high resolution. The method provides information on long-range order of the nanostructures, pair distance distribution functions, averaged structural features over large sample volumes, and allows following morphological transitions (e.g. through annealing, light stimulation or other stimuli). Information about structural transitoins is of particular interest for a better understanding of the formation mechanism and structure-property relationships. The method of SAXS is currently not available in the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy or at the University of Münster and its affiliated institutes.