Applications

Neutron reflectometry can be used to:

Study soft matter in biological and chemical science:
- Examining how surfactants work (substances that affect surface characteristics)
eg waterproofers, emulsifiers, lung surfactants in premature infants.
- The interactions of proteins and enzymes with biomimetic cell membranes (synthetic membrances used to model those in living cells).
Deliver critical information about polymer film composition, chemical properties and the quality of the film in conjunction with other surface sensitive techniques.
- Nanoscale plasma polymer surface coatings are key elements used in the development of new biotechnologies for tissue growth, bio-functionalisation, surface passivation and anti-biofouling, protein and antibody biosensors.
Study processes occurring at surfaces and interfaces such as adsorption, corrosion, adhesion and inter-diffusion between layers to solve important industrial problems.
Sudy thin-film magnetic devices to be used in future generations of computers, including magnetoresistive read head sensors and data storage films in hard drives as well as non-volatile magnetic random access memory devices.