INTRODUCTION
It has been widely known very well that both techniques of neutron and X-ray scatterings have been employed in materials science and biology research. One of the elegant and tremendous achievements of X-ray scattering technique in materials science and biological materials studies is to reveal the crystal structure of inorganic, organic compounds and also biological materials such as proteins and DNA. Meanwhile, neutron scattering technique which has some advantages compare to X-ray scattering technique has shown some remarkable results. The technique has the abilities to reveal the magnetic structure in materials, the light elements position in the crystal structures, chain conformation of polymer in solution and melt, protein-protein interactions, biomacromolecule structure in solution and many others. Overall, neutron scattering technique becomes the most important tool to investigate the structure and dynamics of materials. Therefore, it could be understood that lot of funds, time, man-hour and efforts have been invested around the world in building new neutron source facilities and neutron scattering instruments.
One of the most important neutron and X-ray scattering techniques is small-angle scattering (SAS) that has been pointed out as a major tool in nanoscience and technology for investigating the structure and dynamics of materials, including biological materials in the nanometer scale, i.e. 1 – 500 nm. Hence, this technique was applied to characterize wide range of substances such as alloys, ceramics, polymers, liquid crystals, micellar solutions, microemulsions, colloid suspensions, and also biological materials, e.g. proteins, liposomes, lipids, DNA, virus, etc. The information of the average size and its distribution, spatial correlation, as well as shape, internal and hierarchical structures of nanomaterials can be revealed.
Seeing as the small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) facility is available at BATAN Serpong Indonesia where is the only SANS spectrometer in the region, then it would be a great opportunity to promote and then to establish the SANS method for materials science and biology research in Indonesia and in the region as well. Scientists, lecturers and researchers are very great potential users that have to be exposed by SANS technique in order to deliver the knowledge and experiences in dealing with neutron scattering technique for their research. Unfortunately, most of them have not been exposed by SANS (neutron scattering) technique, then X-ray scattering of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) has to be promoted at first with the intension of inspiring their interest on nanomaterials research using SAS technique. For that reason, the Indonesian Polymer Association (HPI) has initiated to organize a series of seminar in order to promote SAS technique. In collaboration with the Research Center for Physics – LIPI Bandung, HPI organized the Seminar Teknologi I on March 22, 2012 with the subject matter of X-ray Diffraction and SANS techniques. It was followed by the Seminar Teknologi II on May 29, 2012, with the subject matter of SANS & SAXS: The New Probes on Nanostructure Studies in Polymers, Material Science, and Biology in collaboration with Sentra Teknologi Polimer (STP) – BPPT Serpong.
As a continuant of the previous seminars, a workshop on SANS & SAXS (theory, experiment and data analysis) subject has been proposed in collaboration with the Center for Technology of Nuclear Industrial Materials – BATAN in Serpong where the SANS facility located. In view of the fact that the SAXS instrument is not available in Indonesia, here the world-wide SAXS manufacturer is very welcome to support the proposed event as a single/major sponsor.
OBJECTIVES
- To encourage the scientists, lecturers and researchers including practitioners in Indonesia and the region as well to have a basic knowledge on small-angle scattering technique both in neutron and X-ray in soft matters research (polymers, colloids, liquid crystals, proteins, viruses, etc.)
- To build scientific community and potential users on small-angle scattering (neutron and X-ray) from local and regional scientists for investigating nanostructure of materials.
- To increase the quality of research and development in materials science and biology especially in soft matters using small-angle scattering techniques (neutron and X-ray).
- To promote and then to establish small-angle scattering method, especially neutron with the intension of commencing the neutron scattering facility in Serpong, Indonesia as an excellent nanocenter, based on nuclear sciences in supporting materials science and biology research in national and regional level.
SCOPE
The workshop will provide the basic theory of small-angle scattering technique, instrumentation, samples preparation on polymer, colloid and liquid crystal samples, and to demonstrate the small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments, including data reduction and analysis. Along with SANS data, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data is also presented and provided for comparison results. The SAXS data will be provided by the world-wide SAXS manufacturer in order to promote the SAXS instrument to the scientific communities in Indonesia and the region.
