Chemistry Seminar - Nanoscale Characterisation by Small Angle Scattering (SAXS/SANS)

Title: Nanoscale Characterisation by Small Angle Scattering (SAXS/SANS)

Speaker: Dr. Vikram Raghuwanshi, Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis (UQ)

Abstract: This presentation focuses on introduction of Small-angle X-ray/neutron scattering (SAXS/SANS) method applied to characterise nanoscale structural information from 1- 1000 nm. SAXS is used to determine information about the shape, sizes, interparticle distance, distribution, fractal formation and interparticle interactions. Typical examples of the types of information that can be determined include: the size and shape of nanoparticles, polymers, proteins or micelles in solution; measurements of pore size and inter-pore spacing in mesoporous materials; characteristic length scales in partially ordered systems, e.g. block copolymers composites and gels; and interparticle interactions in colloidal dispersions.  Hence SAXS/SANS has many applications in the fields of structural biology, chemistry, physics and engineering and sample types: e.g. polymers, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, foods, catalysts, coal, membranes, and proteins. Further, a brief introduction on the capability of SAXS instrument at CMM will be discussed.

Bio: Vikram received his PhD in Physics (Material Science) from Technical University (TU) Berlin and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Germany in 2012. His PhD research work was focused on X-ray characterization of nanocrystals in embedded in multiphase glass ceramics systems. Later, he joined as a post-doctoral in the Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany where his work was focused on studying the growth mechanisms of nanoparticles in ionic liquids. In 2015, he joined as a post-doctoral research fellow in Monash University, Australia where his work was focused on developing nanocellulose based polymer materials. He successfully applied scattering methods (XRD, SAXS, SANS) in multidisciplinary fields of physics, material science, chemical engineering, nanotechnology, chemistry, and biophysics. In Oct 2024, he joined UQ as a senior X-ray scientist to manage small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and X-ray Florescence Microscopy (XFM) instrument.