Fiber optic apparatus and use thereof in combinatorial material science

• Main Authors: BENNETT JAMES, KUEBLER SIGRID C
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.02.2003
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMBINATORIAL CHEMISTRY; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; LIBRARIES, e.g. CHEMICAL LIBRARIES, IN SILICOLIBRARIES; MEASURING; METALLURGY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PHYSICS; SEPARATION; TESTING; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

Methods, systems and devices are described for rapid characterization and screening of liquid samples to determine properties (e.g., particle size, particle size distribution, molar mass and/or molar mass distribution) thereof with static light scattering and/or dynamic light scattering. The liquid samples can be solutions, emulsions, suspensions or dispersions. One method, includes providing a vessel containing a liquid sample having an exposed surface that defines a gas-liquid sample interface, and analyzing the sample by light scattering methods that include transmitting light through the gas-liquid sample interface into the sample, and detecting light scattered from the sample or from a component thereof. Additional methods are directed to characterizing a plurality of liquid samples or components thereof. The methods, systems, and devices have applications in high-throughput screening, and particularly, in combinatorial materials research and in industrial process control.