Small-Angle Scattering from Weakly Correlated Nanoscale Mass Fractal Aggregates

Formation of fractal aggregates is generally an undesired effect which may lead to end products with worse properties as compared to those of the individual components, especially in nanocomposite materials. Although several methods exist to overcome this issue, such as inclusion of additives, irradiation grafting or sonication, their effectiveness relies on a detailed knowledge of the structural properties of the aggregates. Here, small-angle scattering (SAS) technique is used and a theoretical model based on a unified Guinier-Porod approach with weak correlations is developed for investigating the structural properties of nanoscale fractal aggregates. It is shown how one can extract information concerning the correlation length/degree between aggregates, their fractal dimension and the overall size. These parameters can be used for development of various types of novel nanomaterials with pre-determined properties and functions.