SMALL-ANGLE SCATTERING STUDIES OF MESO-SCOPIC STRUCTURES WITH SYNCHROTRON X-RAYS

The use of small-angle X-ray scattering techniques for the study of spatial inhomogeneities over the range 20 Angstrom to 2 mu m is reviewed. The basic formalism for scattering by an inhomogeneous medium is developed with particular reference to liquid suspensions, porous solids and solid aggregates. The instrumentation available on the Synchrotron Radiation Source at the Daresbury Laboratory is briefly presented and the use of the Bonse-Hart method for studies at ultra-low scattering angles described. The extraction of structural information for a range of natural and synthetic materials is presented with particular reference to microemulsions, porous silicas, clays and composites. The complementarity of X-ray and neutron techniques is critically reviewed and prospects for future developments, particularly for the study of anisotropic systems, are discussed.