Speaker
Description
Understanding structure–property relationships in advanced materials requires complementary experimental techniques capable of probing structural organization across different length scales. The newly established MASS-PRAM laboratory at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice is being developed as a multimodal X-ray characterization platform integrating X-ray diffraction, X-ray scattering, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Within this framework, the Anton Paar SAXSpoint 700 provides dedicated capabilities for structural characterization across a broad range of length scales.
The SAXSpoint 700 is configured for small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), and grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS). The instrument is equipped with interchangeable Cu and Mo X-ray sources and a DECTRIS EIGER2 R 1M hybrid photon-counting detector. Its modular configuration includes dedicated stages for transmission and grazing-incidence measurements, temperature-controlled environments for both geometries, an automated sampler compatible with quartz cuvettes and a flow cell, and a broad range of sample holders. This flexibility enables the investigation of powders, bulk solids, liquids, thin films, and nanostructured materials.
The combination of flexible scattering geometries and sample environments enables studies of particle size and morphology, nanoscale organization, interfaces, orientation, and structural evolution under varying experimental conditions. Together with complementary X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy capabilities available within MASS-PRAM, the SAXSpoint 700 contributes to a comprehensive approach to material characterization, linking nanoscale morphology with crystallographic, local atomic, and electronic structure. The laboratory thus provides a versatile platform for advanced materials research and opens new possibilities for interdisciplinary and collaborative studies.
Acknowledgment
This study was funded by the EU NextGenerationEU through the Recovery and Resilience Plan for Slovakia under the project No. 09I03-03-V03-00034. Support from the project VEGA 1/0638/24 is also acknowledged.
