Direct comparison of SESANS and SAXS to measure colloidal interactions

Abstract

We present a systematic comparison of conventional small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) with the relatively new real-space technique, spin-echo small-angle neutron scattering (SESANS). We apply both techniques to colloidal suspensions where the particles interact as hard spheres, with electrostatic repulsions, or with polymer-induced depletion attractions. We successfully model the data sets with the appropriate colloid-colloid interaction potentials to determine the colloid radius, effective volume fraction, and surface charge, while illustrating the different representations of colloid structuring related to both techniques. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2014