We have directly observed the <i>in situ</i> self-assembly kinetics of polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) micelles by synchrotron time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering, equipped with a stopped-flow device that provides millisecond temporal resolution. This work has elucidated one general kinetic pathway for the process of PEC micelle formation, which provides useful physical insights for increasing our fundamental understanding of complexation and self-assembly dynamics driven by electrostatic interactions that occur on ultrafast timescales.
At the nascence of a metal–polymer hybrid material primarily vertical Au dimers and free adatoms diffuse on and into the polymer matrix revealed in situ by sub-millisecond time-resolved surface-sensitive X-ray scattering (GISAXS).
In situ structural kinetics of picosecond laser-induced heating and fragmentation of colloidal gold spheres