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Ultra-small-angle x-ray scattering can provide information about primary particles and aggregates from a single scattering experiment. This technique is applied in situ to flame aerosol reactors for monitoring simultaneously the primary particle and aggregate growth dynamics of oxide nanoparticles in a flame. This was enabled through the use of a third generation synchrotron source ͑Advanced Photon Source, Argonne IL, USA͒ using specialized scattering instrumentation at the UNICAT facility which is capable of simultaneously measuring nanoscales to microscales ͑1 nm to 1 m͒. More specifically, the evolution of primary-particle diameter, mass-fractal dimension, geometric standard deviation, silica volume fraction, number concentration, radius of gyration of the aggregate, and number of primary particles per aggregate are measured along the flame axis for two different premixed flames. All these particle characteristics were derived from a single and nonintrusive measurement technique. Flame temperature profiles were measured in the presence of particles by in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermophoretic sampling was used to visualize particle growth with height above the burner as well as in the radial direction.

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Water (D2O) ingress in bis-amino silane and bis-sulfur silane films was studied by in situ neutron reflectivity. Bis-amino silane film absorbs substantially more D2O (33 vol%) than the bis-sulfur silane film (4.6 vol%) at equilibrium. The volume increase (swelling) of both films, however, is much smaller than the total volume of D2O absorbed in the films. The results suggest that the absorbed water exists in two populations: one is dissolved in the polymer matrix (Henry's mode) while the other occupies unrelaxed free volume existing in the polymer (Langmuir mode). The dominance of Langmuir mode accounts for the small film thickness change during the water absorption. Dual-mode sorption is also consistent with the observed two-stage swelling process whereby an initial rapid increase in film thickness is followed by a slower process extending over 11 h.