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Soft matter

Polymers – Gels- surfactants – Lubricants - Liquid crystals – Emulsions – Colloids - Cosmetics

The expression "soft matter" was first used by France's Nobel prize for physics Pierre-Gilles de Gennes to define “molecular systems giving a strong response to a very weak command signal”. The field is very broad involving polymers, proteins, colloids, lipids, liquid crystals and any systems easily deformed by small external fields, including thermal stresses and thermal fluctuations. The relevant energy scale, comparable with room temperature (~KBT), and the structures in the size range of nanometers to a few micrometers, make these systems ideally suited for neutron scattering studies.
Furthermore soft matter systems are rich in light elements and can be deuterated, improving the quality of information that neutrons can provide.
At the ILL the structure of soft matter is probed by large-scale structures instruments, like small-angle scattering machines, reflectometers, small-angle diffractometers, while their dynamics is studied by neutron scattering spectroscopy with motions probed from the fs time scale (eV) to ~100ns (neV), using inelastic scattering, backscattering, and spin-echo instruments.
Soft matter represents about 20-25% of the ILL output in terms of beam-time use and publications, and benefits from a vibrant scientific environment with the facilities available in the Soft Matter Science and Support group in the Science Building, which runs the Partnership for Soft Condensed Matter activities in collaboration with the ESRF.

Review of ILL research into complex everyday materials: Neutrons and Soft Matter (pdf file, 4.93 Mb)

Highlights

- Soft matter,General news,European news,D17,D33,France,Germany

This prestigious award recognises von Klitzing’s remarkable contributions in soft matter physics and her pioneering use of neutrons to unravel complex interface phenomena – in particular through experiments at the ILL.

- News,Industry - Consumer Goods & Chemicals,Soft matter,Scientific news,D17,France,Sweden

Research is constantly ongoing to optimise the properties of shampoos. This study could help design better, more sustainable hair-care products with improved conditioning effects. It was developed at ILL in collaboration with L'Oréal.

- News,Industry - Agriculture & Food,Soft matter,Scientific news,D22,D33,Denmark

Foams are highly complex systems, and an essential component of many different drinks and foods. Collaboration between the ILL and Aarhus University has connected unique capabilities to investigate foam with critically relevant food science…

- Health,Biology Health,Industry - Consumer Goods & Chemicals,Industry - Pharmaceuticals,Soft matter,European news,Scientific news,D11,IN15,Germany

How neutrons help us understand the industrial production of therapeutic molecules

- News,Soft matter,Scientific news,D33

From drug delivery to the development of responsive materials, self-assembled supramolecular structures have many applications. Understanding their organisation and reaction to external parameters is key. In a new study, researchers explore the…

- News,Chemistry,Soft matter,Scientific news,D22,France
- Health,Biology Health,Industry - Pharmaceuticals,Soft matter,Scientific news,IN13,IN16B,France,Italy
- News,Industry,Soft matter,European news

Samuel Winnall and Wenke Müller are currently carrying out their PhDs as part of the InnovaXN programme. While Samuel specialises in reflectometry and molecular dynamics simulations, Wenke specialises in small-angle scattering, and is focused on…

- News,Health,Biology Health,Industry - Pharmaceuticals,Soft matter,Press releases,Scientific news,D22,FIGARO,IN5,IN13,IN15,IN16B,Italy,Spain,United Kingdom