SAXS in inorganic and bioinspired research

In situ and time-resolved structural information about emergent microstructures that progressively develop during the formation of inorganic or biologically mediated solid phases from solution is fundamental for understanding of the mechanisms driving complex precipitation reactions, for example, during biomineralization. In this brief chapter, we present the use of small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS) techniques and show how SAXS can be used to gather structural information on the nanoscale properties of the de novo-forming entities. We base the discussion on several worked examples of inorganic materials such as calcium carbonate, silica, and perovskite-type titanates.