POLYSOLVAT 16 at JCNS, Workshop 2026

The small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) diffractometer KWS-2 [1-4] is dedicated to the investigation of multi-scale morphologies in soft condensed matter and biophysical systems, bridging atomic- and meso-scale structures. By combining pinhole SANS (8 mm spatial resolution) with a focusing mode using MgF₂ lenses and a secondary high-resolution detector (1 mm spatial resolution), as well as...

Transport properties, such as diffusivity and viscosity, govern the rate and efficiency of mass and energy transfer and are of particular relevance in the development of vaccine adjuvants, as they are closely associated with the delivery of these substances within the human body, directly influencing their performance and efficacy [1]. In this work, the transport properties of choline-based...

An electrochemistry laboratory is currently being established at JCNS-4 for the preparation and comprehensive characterization of semicrystalline hydrocarbon-based proton exchange membranes for energy applications. The available facilities and methods will be introduced, including a hot press for membrane preparation, a tensile testing machine for producing uniaxially oriented membranes, a...

Isotactic poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) (P4MP1) is known to absorb various organic solvents, such as alkanes [1]. Although P4MP1 exhibits nearly identical densities in its crystalline and amorphous regions, it has been revealed that solvent absorption predominantly occurs within the amorphous region [2]. However, because isotropic samples were used in Ref. [2], it was difficult to distinguish the...

An in-line size exclusion chromatography - small-angle neutron scattering (SEC-SANS) setup has been implemented at the KWS-2 instrument at MLZ to enable structural investigations of biomolecules under improved sample quality conditions. By coupling SANS measurements with prior chromatographic separation, challenges associated with sample heterogeneity, aggregation and degradation can be...

In SANS, the mesoscopic/nanoscale structure is resolved that then can be connected to macroscopic functions in various applications. Examples are magnetic nanoparticles for hypothermia, proteins in interaction with drugs and proteins for food products, bio-membranes with proteins and/or drugs, and manyfold (micro-) emulsions that serve in life sciences. All these examples deal with microscopic...

The customized instrument began user operations in April 2023. As the latest addition to our small-angle scattering instrument family, the new instrument is equipped with a high-flux Metal-Jet source and a movable Eiger2R 4M SAXS detector. It also features a 4-axis motorized WAXS detector and a Bonse-Hart USAXS system, enabling a broad scattering vector q range from 0.0002 to 7 Å⁻¹.
The...

The study of biological systems in all its complexity has proven to be quite difficult. As a result, the use of simpler model systems is common. Two of the central phenomena that are becoming recognized in biological systems are phase separation and self-assembly. In vivo, both of these are common for different types and combinations of proteins and RNA [1]. However, studying these systems...

Synthetic polypeptides are versatile model systems for investigating electrostatically driven self-assembly, polyelectrolyte complexation, and phase behavior in biomolecular and soft matter systems. Oppositely charged polypeptides such as polyarginine and poly(aspartic acid) provide well defined platforms for studying complex coacervation and liquid-liquid phase separation. However,...