The lecture will provide an introduction to the fundamental principles of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), with emphasis on its theoretical background, experimental methodology, and data interpretation. Particular attention will be devoted to laboratory-based SAXS instrumentation available at our department, including its capabilities, limitations, and practical implementation in materials research.
Selected case studies will be presented to illustrate the versatility of SAXS in the characterization of nanostructured and nanocrystalline systems. These will include investigations of oriented hexaferrite thin films, highly disordered carbon nanomaterials, and three-dimensionally ordered micro–mesoporous carbons. Further examples will cover metal-organic pharmaceutical compounds as well as silicon- and metal-based materials relevant for energy storage and catalytic applications.
A dedicated part of the lecture will focus on advanced in situ and in operando SAXS experiments performed using laboratory equipment equipped with microfocus X-ray sources. The possibilities and inherent limitations of such setups for high-temperature and time-resolved studies will be critically discussed. Temperature-induced morphological and structural evolution will be demonstrated using tungsten nanoparticle layers prepared by gas aggregation cluster sources.
In addition, in operando SAXS studies will be presented to illustrate real-time monitoring of microstructural changes in functional devices. These examples will include microstructural evolution during charge-discharge cycling (lithiation/delithiation) in lithium-based coin cell batteries, as well as structural transformations in water electrolyzers and fuel cells under operating conditions.
Overall, the lecture aims to highlight the potential of laboratory SAXS as a powerful and accessible tool for probing nanoscale structure and its evolution in a wide range of advanced materials.