Anomalous Small and Wide Angle X-Ray Scattering (ASWAXS)

The ASWAXS facility at NSF’s ChemMatCARS focuses on element-specific structural study of soft matter systems such as polyelectrolytes, colloids, polymers, macro-ions in solutions, and nanomaterials at the length scales from sub-nanometers to hundreds of nanometers. NSF’s ChemMatCARS has developed a set of easy-to-use analysis tools that enable the users to extract quantitative spatial distribution of specific elements (with atomic number Z>25) within their samples from ASAXS measurements.

Current Capabilities

• Energy-Range: 5-70 keV (which provides sensitivity to elements with atomic number Z>25)
• Discrete sample-to-detector distances available pertaining to Q-Range:
  • 0.003 – 0.2 Å^-1 (Sample-to-detector distance: 3.7 m at 12 keV)
  • 0.01– 0.8 Å^-1 (Sample-to-detector distance: 0.57 m at 12 keV)
  • 0.07– 6.0 Å^-1 (Sample-to-detector distance: 0.1 m at 12 keV)
• Area Detectors: Pilatus3 X 300K Si (5-20 keV), Pilatus3 X CdTe 300K (15-70 keV), Pilatus3 X CdTe 1M (15-70 keV)
• Energy Dispersive Detector: Vortex®-60EX silicon drift X-ray Fluorescence detector for energy calibration
• Sample Environments: Ambient condition sample holders for solid and liquid samples, computer-controlled flow cell setup for liquid samples, temperature controlled sample holders for liquid and solid samples (Linkam Scientific (-195 – 350°C) and custom built (25-120°C))
• Software: Python-based full suite of software packages with GUIs available for automated data collection, reduction, and analysis of ASAXS data. More details in Software section (https://chemmatcars.uchicago.edu/facilities/software/)