Light scattering data evaluation using Legendre polynomials

Calculation of the masses and the radii of gyration from static light scattering experiments were performed by approximating the measured angle distributions by Legendre polynomials. The method allows a very good fit to the scattering angle 0 degrees. In this paper the method is discussed applied to discretised theoretical form factors of several geometries as well as measured data of latex particles. If the sample is polydisperse, the resulting form factor is the sum of the form factors of the individual particles. An iterative method was developed, that allows the deconvolution of form factors of spherical particles from the measured form factor to give information about the polydispersity of the sample. This form factor analysis will be discussed for experiments using asymmetrical Flow-Field-Flow-Fractionation (a-FFFF) of complex plant extracts to interpret the measured form factor as the superimposition of two possible elution modes of the a-FFF.