Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026

12:53
Small and Wide Angle X-Ray Scattering Studies of Biological Macromolecules in Solution
Published on: January 8, 2013
Simultaneous small- and wide-angle scattering at high X-ray energies.
J E Daniels1, D Pontoni, Rui Ping Hoo
1ID15, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France.
Journal of Synchrotron Radiation
|June 23, 2010
Summary
High-energy X-rays enable advanced materials analysis using combined small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS). This new setup allows in situ strain analysis, atomic pair distribution function analysis, and complex sample environments with high time resolution.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Combined small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) is crucial for material characterization across atomic to mesoscopic scales.
- Standard X-ray energies (8-20 keV) limit certain advanced analyses.
- High X-ray energies (>50 keV) offer unique capabilities for materials investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and demonstrate a high-energy X-ray setup for combined SAXS/WAXS.
- To enable advanced in situ and ex situ material analyses not feasible at standard energies.
- To achieve high time resolution for dynamic material studies.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of a novel experimental setup for high-energy (E > 50 keV) X-ray scattering.
- Application of combined small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) techniques.
- Utilizing hard X-rays for in situ strain analysis, pair distribution function analysis, and complex sample environments.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated feasibility of in situ anisotropic strain analysis at both atomic (WAXS) and mesoscopic (SAXS) scales.
- Enabled acquisition of WAXS patterns to very large q-values (>20 A(-1)) for pair distribution function (PDF) analysis.
- Facilitated studies using complex sample environments and achieved a time resolution of approximately two seconds.
Conclusions:
- The developed high-energy SAXS/WAXS setup significantly expands the capabilities for materials characterization.
- This technique allows for unprecedented insights into material behavior under various conditions.
- Future improvements aim to further enhance the time resolution for even faster dynamic studies.
Related Concept Videos
X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples
X-ray diffraction or XRD is an analytical tool that utilizes X-rays to study ordered structures such as crystalline organic and inorganic samples, polycrystalline materials, proteins, carbohydrates, and drugs.
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...
X-ray Crystallography
The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
X-ray Imaging
German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (1845–1923) was experimenting with electrical current when he discovered that a mysterious and invisible "ray" would pass through his flesh but leave an outline of his bones on a screen coated with a metal compound. In 1895, Röntgen made the first durable record of the internal parts of a living human: an "X-ray" image (as it came to be called) of his wife’s hand. Scientists worldwide quickly began their own experiments with X-rays, and by 1900, X-ray was widely...
Scanning Electron Microscopy
A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is used to study the surface features of a sample by using an electron beam that scans the sample surface in a two-dimensional manner. Typically, areas between ~1 centimeter to 5 micrometers in width can be imaged. SEM can be used to image bacteria, viruses, tissues as well as larger samples like insects. Conventional SEM gives a magnification ranging from 20X to 30,000X and spatial resolution of 50 to 100 nanometers.
Fundamental Principles
Accelerated...
Fundamental Principles
Accelerated...
Determination of Crystal Structures
In the late 1800s, the revelation that light extended beyond visible wavelengths led to the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen. Recognized as high-energy electromagnetic radiation with short wavelengths, X-rays prompted exploration into their interaction with crystals. Max von Laue proposed in 1912 that the periodic arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in crystals would cause them to diffract X-rays, a hypothesis confirmed through experiments with copper sulfate and zinc sulfide...

