X-ray and neutron investigation of self-assembled lipid layers on a titanium surface.

Titanium is the most widely preferred metal material for bone reconstruction in orthopedics and dentistry. To improve its biological performance, various coatings can be applied. In this investigation, a biomimetic coating on a model implant surface was studied in X-ray and neutron reflectivity experiments to probe the quality of this coating, which is only few nanometers thick.

Nano-scale morphology of melanosomes revealed by small-angle X-ray scattering.

Melanosomes are highly specialized organelles that produce and store the pigment melanin, thereby fulfilling essential functions within their host organism. Besides having obvious cosmetic consequences--determining the color of skin, hair and the iris--they contribute to photochemical protection from ultraviolet radiation, as well as to vision (by defining how much light enters the eye). Though melanosomes can be beneficial for health, abnormalities in their structure can lead to adverse effects.

Studies of self-organization processes in nanoporous alumina membranes by small-angle neutron scattering.

We performed studies of the self-organization processes in nanoporous alumina membranes at initial and late stages of aluminum anodization by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). SEM observations indicated three stages in the self-organization of nanopores in alumina: (1) nucleation of random nanopores with a broad radius distribution, (2) narrowing the radius distribution and (3) slow evolution of the nanoporous structure towards ordering of nanopores into large domains. SANS studies revealed orientational correlation between ordered domains of nanopores, which is characterized by a small misorientation angle.