Recent applications of synchrotron radiation and neutrons in the study of soft matter

Abstract

The broad range of applications of synchrotron and neutron scattering in the investigation of soft condensed matter is reviewed. Appropriate combinations of these techniques allow probing the structure and dynamics of these complex systems from sub-nm to micron size scales and picoseconds to seconds and longer time ranges. Applications include a myriad of systems such as polymers, colloids, surfactants, phospholipids, biological macromolecules and functional materials both in bulk and at interfaces. Most studies are performed in situ under the real thermodynamic state of the given system and large ensemble averaged information is readily obtained. The new generations of synchrotron and neutron sources open possibilities for investigating more complex soft matter systems in hitherto unexplored dynamical states.