Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) is used to study the structure of materials in the 1 nm to ~200 nm range, and sometimes even larger. The materials typically studied include polymers, metals, colloids, liquid crystals and biological samples e.g. proteins (also referred to as Bio-SAXS). Bio-SAXS is a very useful technique as a complement to Protein Crystallography.
The information determined relates to the particle size, shape, distribution and orientation, porosity, surface features and internal structure.
A SAXS sample requires very little preparation and results are representative of the bulk material. The scattered signal is typically recorded at diffraction angles of <6° and the sample is positioned at a long distance from the detector. The measured scattered signals are accordingly extremely weak. For this reason, SAXS measurements benefit from the use of a high brilliance X-ray source such as the MetalJet, which makes weak scattering effects, stronger, more visible and more readily studied.