Light Scattering. Recent Applications

Abstract Following the pioneering use of lasers and photon beating for the development of dynamic light scattering about thirty years ago, there have been numerous studies using light scattering techniques to investigate liquid dispersions in various research fields. With the growing importance of new polymeric and colloidal materials in technology and biopolymers and biocolloids in biology, the use of these techniques for size characterization has become routine. This paper gives a survey on basic principles of light scattering techniques and their use in physics, chemistry, biochemistry, and pharmaceutical research. We will emphasize recent applications and the combination of light scattering with other techniques such as electrophoresis, chromatography, and flow cytometry. Finally, although light scattering shows several advantages compared to other techniques for characterization of nanoparticles, critical observations are discussed with respect to its potentials and pitfalls.