Applications of stopped-flow in SAXS and SANS

Stopped-flow apparatus coupled with a large variety of detection techniques is one of the most frequently used instruments to study rapid kinetics. With the recent technical advances of small angle scattering beam-lines and more particularly in the fields of electronics and detectors, the 10 last years have seen the development of combined stopped-flow and small angle neutron or X-ray experiments. Time resolutions of the order of 10 ms for X-rays to 100 ms for neutrons allow one to follow the very early stages of the sample formation. This review presents recent applications in the fields of soft matter and biology. The different studies reveal pathways and intermediate states during phase transitions, which are of fundamental importance to understand and control the properties at equilibrium. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.