Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering, Synchrotron Radiation, and the Structure of Bio- and Nanosystems

Small-angle X-ray scattering is a universal diffraction method for studying the supra-atomic structure of matter. The potential of this technique has greatly increased in recent years due to the development of bright synchrotron radiation sources. The extensive use of these sources, in combination with new techniques for analyzing scattering data and structure modeling, made small-angle scattering one of the most effective analytical methods for studying nanoscale structures. In this review, after a brief outline of the basic principles of small-angle scattering by isotropic dispersed nanosystems, we consider two areas of nanodiagnostics, in which the progress in the small-angle experiment and the latest techniques for interpreting scattering data has become pronounced in recent years. These areas-the analysis of the structure of biological macromolecules in a solution and structural studies of metal nanoparticles synthesized in polymer and aqueous media-are illustrated by examples of practical biological and nanotechnologycal applications. DOI: 10.1134/S1063774511050221