SAXS for Renewable Energy and Storage
Materials used in renewable energy and energy storage technologies derive much of their performance from structures that form at the nanometric scale. Active layers in photovoltaic cells, nanostructured catalysts in electrolyzers, ion-conducting domains in polymer membranes, and composite electrodes in batteries all rely on controlled organization of particles, pores, phases, and interfaces. Because these morphologies evolve during fabrication, cycling, and environmental exposure, understanding nanoscale structure has become essential for improving efficiency, stability, and lifetime across energy technologies.
Small-Angle and Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS/WAXS) provide quantitative insight into these organizations under realistic conditions. Scattering techniques reveal domain spacing, porosity, particle dispersion, phase transitions, crystallinity, and interface evolution in bulk materials, thin films, membranes, and composite electrodes. With in situ and operando capabilities, SAXS/WAXS track structural changes during charging, discharging, illumination, heating, or gas exposure. Grazing-incidence methods extend this analysis to thin-film solar absorbers, catalytic layers, and polymer coatings. By linking nanoscale structure to performance and degradation pathways, scattering empowers researchers and engineers to optimize material design and accelerate development cycles.
Questions you can answer with SAXS for Renewable Energy and Storage
What nanoscale domain spacing and crystallite orientation form in polymer or perovskite absorber layers during coating or annealing?
How do Pt, IrOx, or transition-metal catalyst nanoparticles change in size, dispersion, or aggregation during thermal or electrochemical cycling?
What hydrophilic–hydrophobic domain spacing develops in ionomers such as Nafion or PFSA membranes, and how does humidity or temperature shift this nanostructure?
What pore-size distribution, connectivity, and internal morphology are present in MOFs used for hydrogen storage or CO₂ capture?
Which phase-separated nanostructures form in block-copolymer templating films, and how do processing conditions determine the final mesoporous architecture?
What pore structure and nanoscale ordering exist in carbon anode materials, and how do these features evolve during cycling?
How do catalytic or protective thin films develop in-plane ordering or vertical stratification, and how do these features respond to annealing or environmental exposure?