Low-frequency
Raman (LFR) spectroscopy is presented as a viable
tool for studying the hydration characteristics of lyotropic liquid
crystal systems herein. Monoolein was used as a model compound, and
its structural changes were probed both in situ and ex situ which enabled a comparison between different hydration
states. A custom-built instrumental configuration allowed the advantages
of LFR spectroscopy to be utilized for dynamic hydration analysis.
On the other hand, static measurements of equilibrated systems (i.e., with varied aqueous content) showcased the structural
sensitivity of LFR spectroscopy. The subtle differences not intuitively
observed between similar self-assembled architectures were distinguished
by chemometric analysis that directly correlated with the results
from small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), which is the current “gold
standard” method for determining the structure of such materials.
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