“Being the first and sole manufacturer worldwide (up to date) of our needed setup was the main reason we choose to acquire the Xeuss 2.0 UHR from Xenocs.”
Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials
Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, Romania.
February 29, 2016
A Xeuss 2.0 UHR SAXS/WAXS instrument from Xenocs was installed at the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest.
The Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials explains the reasons for their choice.
Determining the micro- and nanoscale changes of structure
MM : Could you please tell us for which applications the Xeuss 2.0 UHR equipment installed at your university is used – or will be used ?
Dept : We have acquired the Xeuss equipment mainly for the determination of the micro- and nanoscale changes of structure in biological samples as well as polymers, composites and particles. Among others, parameters such as average particle size, shape, distribution, and surface-to-volume ratio are and will be determined in a series of materials. For ordered systems such as lamellae or proteins, a wide variety of polymer structure changes can now be answered. In addition, features such as GISAXS and LINKAM stages provide solutions for both, the study of order in thin films and also the identifying of real-time temperature-dependent states of structure.
MM : How many people will be using the equipment ?
Dept : The equipment will be handled (at least for the next ~3 years) by 3 people: 1 experienced physicist researcher in the fields of Diffraction and Scattering of X-rays and 2 young Ph.D. students, licensed in material engineering.
The reason for the long set-up…
MM : Why did you choose to have such a long set-up ?
Dept : The reason for the long set-up is to spot and accurately determine long-range order of structure such as periodicity and size of block polymers and macro-molecules.
…and for simultaneous SAXS and WAXS measurements
MM : Why did you choose to have the simultaneous SAXS & WAXS (SWAXS) module? Which samples do you study – or do you plan to study – with this capability ?
Dept : Coupled SAXS & WAXS measurements offer a time-honored solution for structure determination of macro-molecules and polymers. Though incomplete, the diffraction pattern ensures a precise phase composition, texture of one film (preferred alignment of crystallites), crystallite size and presence of film stress in such materials.
About the SAXS technique
MM : What do you think of the SAXS/WAXS technique?
Dept : The technique is powerful. Getting to understand the equipment and the procedures may prove hard at the beginning but although it is a relatively new technique, it already started evolving over time, bringing more and more facile means of characterization towards the researcher.
Why Xenocs
MM : Why did you choose the Xeuss 2.0 UHR from Xenocs ?
Dept : Being the first and sole manufacturer worldwide (up to date) of our needed setup was the main reason we choose to acquire the Xeuss 2.0 UHR from Xenocs. Keeping researchers up to date with all the breakthroughs concerning Xeuss and the technique itself is clearly a challenge that Xenocs aims to accomplish. By providing updates on firmware/software and online webinars, Xenocs proves that it is connected to the community the product succeeds to attract.
For all the reasons mentioned above, adding the innovative technologies used (scatterless slits, very accurate detectors [®Dectris Pilatus 300K]) and the great technical support provided, working with the professionals at Xenocs on and regarding the Xeuss machine has proven a wise choice.
About the Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials
The National Center for Scientific Research on Food Safety, along with the National Centre for Micro and Nanomaterials are two research institutes working under the Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials from the Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Material Science at “Politehnica” University of Bucharest. Their main goals are raising the quality of life, improving the health and safety status of humankind, development of industry, new products and technologies. Their proposed research programs address both: the determination of composition and compliance of food and wrappings including volatile and toxic compounds that may harm the environment or life itself, and also, the development of multifunctional, nano and microstructured oxide, organic, polymeric and metallic materials with pre-determined properties. The research activity is comprehensive, to the sense that it includes synthesis, processing, characterization, modeling and validation of studied materials.
Contact : Vladimir-Lucian Ene [[email protected]]
