Laser Light Scattering and Its Applications in Polymer Characterization

Laser light scattering (LLS), which includes static light scattering (SLS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS), has been widely applied in characterization of polymer samples in dilute solutions. SLS measures the angular dependence of the excess scattered intensity, from which the weight average molecular weight, radius of gyration, and second viral coefficient are obtained. DLS measures the intensity-intensity time correlation functions, from which the hydrodynamic radius and size distribution are obtained. The combination of SLS and DLS enables information on chain conformation. Beside synthetic polymers, LLS is also suitable for the solutions and suspensions of biopolymers, microbial, colloids, nanoparticles, virus, and vesicles. The history, theory, and experimental techniques of SLS and DLS specific for dilute solutions are summarized. In recent years, the crosscorrelation techniques, diffusing wave spectroscopy, and other related techniques have been developed to expand LLS to study samples in semi-dilute and even concentrated solutions. These techniques, as well as solid light scattering, are also briefly introduced in this review. In the last, we provide four typical examples of light scattering experiments: the coil-to-globule transition as studied by the combination of SLS and DLS, the scaling of hyperbranched polymers as determined by LLS, the polymerization-induced micellization process as monitored by time-resolved LLS, and the aggregation of nanoparticles in biological media as investigated by depolarized DLS. [GRAPHICS] .