Physical disruption of gel particles on the macroscale does not affect the study of protein gel structure on the micro or nanoscale

Abstract

Small and Ultra Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS and USANS) are commonly used techniques for the nano- and microstructural characterisation of systems such as polymers, gels, and aggregates. In many cases, for practical purposes, disruption of the larger structures into smaller particles may be necessary to meet the requirements of the specific sample environment used. However, a lack of knowledge about its effect on the nano- and microstructure prevents the adoption of this simple approach. In our study, we used a newly developed recirculated flow set-up designed for the in-situ measurement of blended transglutaminase-induced acid gels (TG). The average gel size reduction of distributions examined herein (d50; 1020, 462, and 294 μm) did not noticeably alter the integrity of gel structure at the interior of the particle. This study validates the proposed approach as an effective way to examine structural elements at a micro- or nanoscale using in-situ neutron scattering techniques.