Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.3, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # PSCM Soft matter research and support laboratories for the ILL and ESRF ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [[Soft Matter Café] Design and physico-chemical characterization of colloidal nanocrystals superlattices](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2025/01/02/soft-matter-cafe-design-and-physico-chemical-characterization-of-colloidal-nanocrystals-superlattices/) - Metallic Nanocrystals (M-NCs) are crucial for developing technological fields such as bioimaging, optoelectronics, and sensing. They have been at the forefront of scientific research for several decades due to their peculiar optical properties, which have generated significant interest in manipulating them to implement current applications and pave the way for new ones. These properties arise - [[Soft Matter Café] Three-dimensional imaging of a deforming foam using fast X-ray tomography](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2025/01/02/soft-matter-cafe-three-dimensional-imaging-of-a-deforming-foam-using-fast-x-ray-tomography/) - Liquid foams are assemblies of bubbles within a continuous liquid phase. They are complex fluids, behaving as elastic solids below a yield stress and undergoing plastic flow above, with viscous dissipation. These rheological properties are difficult to relate to physical processes at the scale of bubbles, because foams are opaque. To circumvent this difficulty, we - [[Soft Matter Café] Typical three-layer orthotropic organization of articular cartilage achieved through the combined action of frontal ultrafiltration and ultrasound on cellulose nanocrystal suspensions, revealed by in situ SAXS.](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2024/02/20/soft-matter-cafe-typical-three-layer-orthotropic-organization-of-articular-cartilage-achieved-through-the-combined-action-of-frontal-ultrafiltration-and-ultrasound-on-cellulose-nanocrystal-suspensio/) - Rodlike cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) possess significant potential as building blocks for creating uniform, sustainable materials. However, a critical hurdle lies in the need to enhance existing or devise novel processing that provide improved control over the alignment and arrangement of CNCs across a wide spatial range. Specifically, the challenge is to achieve orthotropic organization in - [[Soft Matter Café] Self-assembly of biological amphiphiles (biosurfactants): a focus on their membrane-forming properties](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2025/01/02/soft-matter-cafe-self-assembly-of-biological-amphiphiles-biosurfactants-a-focus-on-their-membrane-forming-properties/) - Microbial amphiphiles, known as microbial biosurfactants, are key molecules for the future of surfactants and amphiphiles, not only for their sustainable process of synthesis and production, but also for their chemical functionalities. Due to more and more stringent EU regulations, multinational chemical companies develop strategic production and partnerships for a long-term investment in this field. - [[Soft Matter Café] Dye-surfactant interactions and their implication on hair dyeing](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2024/02/20/soft-matter-cafe-dye-surfactant-interactions-and-their-implication-on-hair-dyeing/) - Surfactants are an important component of commercial hair dyeing formulations, which renders it crucial to understand their interaction with hair dye molecules to facilitate a systematic formulation design. Knowledge about the driving forces for dye-surfactant interaction can be obtained by identifying the location of dye molecules in surfactant micelles. A combination of NMR-spectroscopy and contrast - [[Soft Matter Café] Here to stay? Polystyrene interaction with model lipid membranes](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2024/02/20/soft-matter-cafe-here-to-stay-polystyrene-interaction-with-model-lipid-membranes/) - In little more than a century, synthetic plastic oligomers have gone from being hailed as a scientific wonder to being reviled as an environmental plague. Plastic is lightweight, tough, transparent, waterproof. These characteristics become a drawback when it was firstly noticed that the degradation of plastic waste can enter the food chain and finally interact - [ILL Soft Matter Summer School](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2023/06/16/ill-soft-matter-summer-school/) - Soft matter pervades into daily life under several forms: biological matter, foams, food products, ink, tires, and many others. In contrast to their very different appearance, all these systems are governed by the same, fundamental physical laws. Aim of the school is providing an overview of the forces governing the behaviour of soft matter systems - [[Soft Matter Café] Enzyme encapsulation in lipid sponge phase nanoparticles and the interactions at the lipid aqueous interface](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2023/06/16/soft-matter-cafe-enzyme-encapsulation-in-lipid-sponge-phase-nanoparticles-and-the-interactions-at-the-lipid-aqueous-interface/) - Non-lamellar lipid aqueous phases, such as reverse cubic or hexagonal phases, have increasingly been used to entrap biomolecules. We here discuss encapsulation of two key types of enzymes of different sizes, namely Aspartic protease (34 KDa) and Beta-galactosidase (460 KDa) [1,2]. Although the curvature of the lipid aqueous interfaces in these phases determines the size - [[Soft Matter Café] Compositional design of deep eutectic solvents to tailor protein folding](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2023/03/29/soft-matter-cafe-compositional-design-of-deep-eutectic-solvents-to-tailor-protein-folding/) - In recent years, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as environmentally friendly alternatives in different technologies, such as separation processes, synthesis of nanostructured materials, and biocatalysis [1]. DESs are green solvents obtained through the combination of cheap and simple organic compounds, where a depression in the melting point allows the mixture to remain liquid at - [[Soft Matter Café] Dynamical Behaviour of Interpenetrated Polymer Network microgels](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2023/03/24/soft-matter-cafe-dynamical-behaviour-of-interpenetrated-polymer-network-microgels/) - The novel class of responsive microgels has recently become very popular since their smart responsivity to external stimuli makes them very attractive for industrial applications and excellent model systems for exploring the exotic behaviours emerging in soft colloids since their softness allows to explore high density states well beyond random close packing. In the last - [[Soft Matter Café] Rheology and Phase Behaviour of Interpenetrated Polymer Network Microgels](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2023/03/24/soft-matter-cafe-rheology-and-phase-behaviour-of-interpenetrated-polymer-network-microgels/) - Multi-responsive microgels are widely studied hybrid systems that combine the properties of polymers and colloids. Due to their complex morphology, the microscopic interactions of these soft particles are still not completely understood. Combining rheometry [1,2], differential scanning calorimetry [3] and small angle neutron scattering, we investigated a thermo- and pH-sensitive microgel composed of Interpenetrated Polymer - [[Soft Matter Café] Off-specular neutron reflectometry for the investigation of polymer interfaces.](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2023/03/24/soft-matter-cafe-off-specular-neutron-reflectometry-for-the-investigation-of-polymer-interfaces/) - I will show the power of the off-specular scattering (OSS) technique combined with specular reflection (SR) to probe the properties of buried interfaces between immiscible polymer layers. The combined SR and OSS data analysis, obtained using a quick and robust originally developed algorithm, includes a common absolute scale normalization of both types of scattering, which - [[Soft Matter Café] Unravelling the mechanisms of adaptation to high pressure in proteins](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2023/03/24/soft-matter-cafe-unravelling-the-mechanisms-of-adaptation-to-high-pressure-in-proteins/) - The adaptation of proteins to high pressure is still an open debate, but understanding it could shed light on the origins of life, lead to a better understanding of protein dynamics, and deliver new tools to engineer pressure-resistant enzymes for biotechnological purposes. While the thermodynamic and dynamical properties of model proteins under pressure have been - [[Soft Matter Café] Accurate and rapid 3D printing of microfluidic devices](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2021/03/18/soft-matter-cafe-by-peter-van-der-linden-accurate-and-rapid-3d-printing-of-microfluidic-devices/) - The use of microfluidics for sample preparation and experiments on X-ray beamlines has seen a steady growth over the last years. In comparison with traditional approaches, microfluidics provides access to shorter length and timescales while using smaller quantities of sample material. The construction of microfluidic devices for use on synchrotron beamlines however is often a - [[Soft Matter Café] Microfluidics for MX/BioSAXS and other recent ideas](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2021/05/17/soft-matter-cafe-by-anton-popov/) - One of the relevant topics nowadays is an applied science direction called microfluidics. As wide as the field of application of microfluidic devices is, there are just as many manufacturing methods, but not all of them are fast, accessible and cheap. Our task is to create a simple and inexpensive experimental microfluidic device and sample - [[Soft Matter Café] A neutron reflectivity approach to investigate factors regulating the substrate specificities of phospholipases](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2021/06/07/soft-matter-cafe-by-giacomo-corucci/) - Phospholipases (PLAs) are lipolytic enzymes that hydrolyze phospholipid substrates at specific ester bonds. They are widespread in nature and play very diverse roles right from signal transduction and lipid mediator production to membrane phospholipid homeostasis. Phospholipases vary considerably in their structure, function, regulation, and mode of action therefore a deeper understanding of their dynamics and - [[Soft Matter Café] Coordination complexes for energy conversion and catalysis](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2020/11/26/news-title/) - Coordination complexes are metal-containing compounds showing very interesting redox, photochemical and catalytic properties. In this talk I will present my past research activity on energy conversion (from light to electricity and chemical potential, and from electricity to light), catalysis and surface modification using such compounds. The aim is to present my background in chemical synthesis - [[Soft Matter Café] Cyclodextrin-surfactant complexes: Temperature and pH responsive supramolecular aggregates](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2021/04/09/soft-matter-cafe-by-larissa-dos-santos-araujo/) - Cyclodextrins play an important role in the self-assembly systems of amphiphiles. Among the distinguished physicochemical properties provided by the hollow shape of the cyclodextrins, the ability to form inclusion complexes with a variety of compounds has led to their wide application in different fields, as pharmaceuticals, environmental, cosmetic, food and nanotechnology industries. Surfactants are attractive - [[Soft Matter Café] A Python-implementation of the SDP-model for SAS-analysis of unilamellar lipid vesicles](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2023/03/24/soft-matter-cafe-a-python-implementation-of-the-sdp-model-for-sas-analysis-of-unilamellar-lipid-vesicles/) - Small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering have been popular methods to characterize trans-bilayer structures of phospholipid vesicles for several decades. The gradual improvement of data quality in large scale facilities as well as brought along models of increasing complexity, one of them being the SDP (scattering density profile)-model, published by Kučerka et al. (2008). It parses - [[Webinar] Liquid Foams: From Basic Principles over Practical Aspects to Future Perspectives](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2021/06/07/webinar-liquid-foams-from-basic-principles-over-practical-aspects-to-future-perspectives/) - Part 1: What is the difference between foamability and foam stability? How do liquid fraction, foam volume, and bubble size evolve as a function of time for stable and unstable foams, respectively? How can I study foams reproducibly? Under which circumstances can I compare the properties of foams generated with different surfactants? The first part - [[Webinar] Physical mechanisms of the interaction between lipid-based membranes in aqueous environments](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2021/06/07/webinar-physical-mechanisms-of-the-interaction-between-lipid-based-membranes-in-aqueous-environments/) - In the congested environment of cells and tissues, the interaction between the surfaces of biomolecular assemblies -- notably biomembranes -- is of paramount importance for numerous biological processes. This lecture reviews various mechanisms underlying the interaction between lipid-based membranes in their aqueous (physiological) surroundings. The lecture covers van der Waals interactions, electric double-layer forces, solvent- - [[Webinar] AFM: working principles, modes of operation and applications](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2021/06/07/webinar-afm-working-principles-modes-of-operation-and-applications/) - The atomic force microscope (AFM) is an invaluable tool not only to obtain high (sub-nanometer)-resolution topographical images, but also to determine certain physical properties of specimens, such as stiffness and adhesion, surface charge and even chemical surface composition. The AFM has the advantage over other forms of microscopy in terms of spatial and temporal resolution - [[Webinar] Surfactant Self-Assembly – Fundamentals and Applications](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2021/06/07/webinar-surfactant-self-assembly-fundamentals-and-applications/) - Self-assembly is a ubiquitous phenomenon in science, being observed in solution for surfactants, copolymers, or proteins – and, of course, in combinations thereof with other colloidal systems. Accordingly, self-assembly is at the heart of many important scientific processes, such as detergency, formulations in pharmacy or cosmetics, biomembranes, biological systems, etc. Therefore, it is very important - [[Webinar] Thermodynamics of interfaces](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2021/06/07/webinar-thermodynamics-of-interfaces/) - In this lecture, I will first introduce some concepts related to the definition of an interface, long range surface forces, disjoining pressure and adsorption. In the second part, I will discuss some aspects of the physics of wetting. Energetics of: a) liquid drops on solid substrates and b) solid particles at liquid interfaces, will be - [[Webinar] Calorimetric methodologies: principles and applications](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2021/05/27/soft-matter-webinar-calorimetric-methodologies-principles-and-applications/) - Calorimetry is a powerful physicochemical methodology for measuring the thermal properties of a variety of substances, including soft-materials, and is the only technique for direct determination of the enthalpy change of the processes. Among calorimeters, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) are widely used in many fields of sciences. DSC, giving direct - [[Webinar] Direct measurement of free energy derivatives: Calorimetry and Volumetry](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2021/06/03/webinar-direct-measurement-of-free-energy-derivatives-calorimetry-and-volumetry/) - The lecture will be focused on the direct measurement of thermodynamic properties that are free energy derivatives. In particular the partial molar quantities will be described. Based on some case studies, we’ll explore the relevance in colloidal systems about methods to access directly thermodynamic quantities. In particular, the dilemma on enthalpy changes in supramolecular aggregates: - [[Webinar] Introduction to classical particle-based simulations of soft matter](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/2021/06/07/webinar-introduction-to-classical-particle-based-simulations-of-soft-matter/) - This lecture will introduce the listeners to Monte Carlo and Molecular dynamics simulation methods using classical energy functions, and the most commonly used algorithms to perform free energy calculations. Emphasis will be given to the concepts that a non-specialist must have to be able to critically read a report of a simulation study. Register for ## Pages - [Home](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/) - [Publications](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/publications/) - The PSCM laboratories are exploited by an ever-growing community of users of the ESRF and ILL large-scale facilities. This section lists the publications which have profited from the resources of the PSCM. To better keep track of the scientific output of the PSCM, we ask every user who benefited from the PSCM services to acknowledge - [About us](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/about-us/) - The Partnership for Soft Condensed Matter (PSCM) is a scientific and technical platform enabling ambitious large-scale Soft Matter research projects addressing challenges in nanomaterials, environmental and energy sciences, and biotechnology. The PSCM promotes the integrated exploitation of state-of-the-art neutron and synchrotron beamlines in combination with the most advanced laboratory techniques for the characterisation of a - [Equipment](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipments/) - The PSCM laboratories and instruments are available to all ESRF and ILL soft matter users to whom beam time has been allocated through the appropriate ESRF or ILL peer‐review procedures.The PSCM facilities allow users to prepare and characterise samples during their beamtimes and facilitate the performance of complementary measurements on site. Users who wish to - [Legal notice](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/legal-notice/) - Merci de lire avec attention les différentes modalités d’utilisation du présent site avant d’y parcourir ses pages. En vous connectant sur ce site, vous acceptez sans réserves les présentes modalités. Aussi, conformément à l’article n°6 de la Loi n°2004-575 du 21 Juin 2004 pour la confiance dans l’économie numérique, les responsables du présent site internet - [News & meetings](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/news-meetings/) - The PSCM organizes seminars by onsite and external scientist. It also contributes to the organization of larger workshops and conferences. This section lists recent and upcoming events. - [Cookie Policy (EU)](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/cookie-policy-eu/) - This Cookie Policy was last updated on 29 August 2024 and applies to citizens and legal permanent residents of the European Economic Area and Switzerland. 1. Introduction Our website, https://pscm-grenoble.eu (hereinafter: "the website") uses cookies and other related technologies (for convenience all technologies are referred to as "cookies"). Cookies are also placed by third parties - [Research activity](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/research-activity/) - The PSCM research and support activities emerge from a dense network of interactions among three main types of actors: partners, users and onsite scientists. The partners propose and drive long-term scientific programs requiring special and continuous support from the PSCM, while users request standard PSCM access during their synchrotron and neutron beamtimes. The onsite scientists - [Partners](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/partners/) - The PSCM Collaborative Partner Organizations (CPOs) are selected research groups which are granted privileged access to the PSCM equipment and services within the context of long-term science-driven programs. CPOs are selected for a period of three years in an open competition process. This section introduces briefly the principal investigators of the current and former PSCM - [Contact](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/contact/) ## Equipments - [3D cross-correlation light scattering](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/3d-cross-correlation-light-scattering/) - For advanced users only The 3D DLS Spectrometer from LS Instruments enables both Static and Dynamic Light Scattering (SLS/DLS) measurements over a q-range of 0.0025 nm⁻¹ to 0.025 nm⁻¹. It features cross-correlation technology that effectively suppresses multiple scattering, making it ideal for investigating turbid or highly concentrated samples. For samples with low turbidity, please use - [UV-VIS V-750 Spectrophotometer, Jasco](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/uv-vis-v-630-spectrophotometer-jasco/) - Characteristics: V-750 Jasco Double-beam spectrophotometer with single monochromator Silicon photodiode detectors Range 190 to 1100 nm Fixed bandpass of 1.5 nm High-speed scanning up to 8,000 nm/min Temperature range: 20 to 70°C - [Differential refractometer SLS-Systemtechnick](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/differential-refractometer-sls-systemtechnick/) - The differential refractometer allows for extremely precise dn/dv value determination. - [SpinCoater Laurell ES-650MZ](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/spincoater-layres-es-650mz/) - The device is intended for spin coating of thin films from solutions of polymers in organic solvents and other dispersions. - [Density and Sound Velocity Meter: DSA 5000 M, Anton-Paar](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/density-and-sound-velocity-meter-dsa-5000-m-anton-paar/) - the DSA 5000 M combines density and sound velocity measurements in one setup. Density is determined with an accuracy of 0.000007 g/cm3 and the sound velocity with an accuracy of 0.01 m/s. - [Density Meter: DMA 4500 M, Anton-Paar](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/density-meter-dma-4500-m-anton-paar/) - Less accurate then the DSA 5000 M, this density meter is nonethless very precise with a density accuracy of 0.00005 g/cm3, ideally suited to determine molar volumes of desolved components. - [Differential Scanning Calorimeter DSC-131](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/differential-scanning-calorimeter-dsc-131/) - An-easy-to-use Differential Scanning Calorimeter DSC (-170 to 700°C) with Large range of crucibles (regular 30 μl crucibles, crucibles with a capacity of 100 μl, sealed crucibles, etc.). - [Differential Scanning Calorimeter MC-DSC TA](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/differential-scanning-calorimeter-mc-dsc-ta/) - The MCDSC is a versatile, multipurpose microcalorimeter that provides continuous temperature-scanning, step-scanning or isothermal measurements on three samples and one reference simultaneously. The one milliliter sample capacity ampoules and microwatt sensitivity ensures maximum flexibility for identifying phase transitions in chemicals and biologicals, metabolic activity in cellular organisms and thermal events occurring in complex reactions of liquids and/or solids during admixing. - [Physica MCR 702 Rheometer (Anton-Paar)](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/physica-mcr-702-rheometer-anton-paar/) - The Anton Paar Physica MCR 702 rheometer allows on line (SANS and reflectometry beam line) and off line rheological measurements. Plate/plate, cone and plate, and Couette geometries are available allowing a wide range of sample viscosity to be studied. A second motor can be used to de-couple the torque measurement from the deformation axis. An - [Langmuir Trough KSV Nima KN-1002](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/langmuir-trough-ksv-nima-kn-1002/) - KSV Nima KN-1002 is a small Langmuir trough used for the preparation of layers at the air/water interface Trough surface 195 x 50 mm² Maximal compression ratio: 5.2 2 barriers The trough is used in combination with the Brewster angle microscope, the optical ellipsometer, and the Rheometer. - [Faomscan (Teclis)](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/faomscan-teclis/) - A Foam Analyzer to characterize precisely foaming properties, such as liquid fraction, foamability and foamstability, as well as bubble size distributions. - [Microscope Olympus BX50](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/microscope-olympus-bx50/) - The BX50 is an upright microscope used for brightfield and polarizing microscopy. This transmission microscope is equipped with a 360° manual rotational and XY scaled stage, 3 objectives and a CMOS 5 Megapixels camera. The camera is control via the image acquisition software Toupview. The objectives mounted on the turret are described in the following - [Perkin Elmer Pyris Diamond TG/DT Analyser](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/perkin-elmer-pyris-diamond-tg-dt-analyser/) - The Perkin Elmer Pyris Diamond TG (Thermogravimetric)/DT (Differential Thermal) analyzer is used to determine the weight change of a sample and/or to measure the change in temperature between a sample and the reference as a function of temperature and/or time. The instrument is composed of an oven (temperature range: RT to 1300°C @ 20°C/min max - [Langmuir trough NIMA 721BAM](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/langmuir-trough-nima-721bam/) - Nima Langmuir trough 712BAM used for the preparation of molecular layers on water surfaces from insoluble amphiphilic molecules, typically lipids but also polymers and proteins. Such layers can also be transferred to solid substrates by the built-in accessory allowing Langmuir-Blodgett deposition. Langmuir trough characteristics: Maximum area: 716 cm2 Minimum area: 30 cm2 Barrier speed max: 654.2 cm2.min-1 Barrier speed min: 5.2cm2.min-1 Dimension - [UV-Visible Nanodrop Spectrophotometer](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/uv-visible-nanodrop-spectrophotometer/) - The Nanodrop is a compact, stand-alone UV-Visible spectrophotometer for micro volume analysis of purified nucleic acids and wide variety of proteins. The sample retention system enables the measurement of highly concentrated samples without need for dilutions. Minimum Sample Volume 1 μL Limit of Detection dsDNA Pedestal: 2.0 ng/μL Standard Cuvette: 0.2 ng/μL Limit - [Rheometer Haake Mars II from Thermo Fischer Scientific](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/rheometer-haake-mars-ii-from-thermo-fischer-scientific/) - This instrument allows the rheological characterization of the flow behaviour and viscoelastic properties of complex fluids and bulk soft matter systems. Seven different measuring geometries are available in cone-plate (C20/2.0° Ti L; C20/4.0° Ti L and C60/1.0° Ti L), plate-plate (P20 Ti L and P60 Ti L) and Couette (CC16 DIN Ti and CC25 DIN - [ALV CGS-3 Static & Dynamic Light Scattering](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/alv-cgs-3-static-dynamic-light-scattering/) - The ALV CGS-3 Compact Goniometer System (ALV GmbH, Langen, FRG) allows for a simultaneous measurement of static and dynamic light scattering. The temperature can be set between 5°C and 50°C. Static light scattering (SLS) measures the form factor in the angular range of 17° and 152° (equivalent to Qmax ≈ 0.00255 Å-1, depending on solvent - [Malvern ZS90](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/malvern-zs90/) - The Zetasizer Nano Z is the perfect system for measuring zeta potential and electrophoretic mobility of colloids and nanoparticles, when the measurement of size or molecular weight is not required. Laser Doppler Micro-electrophoresis is used to measure zeta potential. An electric field is applied to a solution of molecules or a dispersion of particles, which - [Krüss K11 Tensiometer](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/kruss-k11-tensiometer/) - Fully automatic determination of surface and interfacial tension for routine measurements in laboratory and quality control applications. Measuring methods: Ring method (Du Noüy; correction acc. To Huh&Mason, Harkins&Jordan; Zuidema&Waters) Plate method (Wilhelmy) Temperature range: 5 to 90°C Measuring range: SFT / IFT 1 to 999 mN/m, Density: 1 to 2200 kg/m3 - [Quartz Crystal Microbalance Q-Sense E4](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/quartz-crystal-microbalance-q-sense-e4/) - The QCM is a mass sensing device with the ability to measure very small masses changes on a quartz crystal resonator in real time. It is possible to measure mass changes as small as a fraction of monolayer or single layer of atoms. As the second generation of Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) - [Contact Angle Measuring Instrument DS114, Krüss](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/contact-angle-measuring-instrument-ds114-kruss/) - The drops are generated with a reproducibility of 0.3 microliter and placed on the sample at the touch of a finger. Software-controlled contact angle measurement can start immediately after drop placement - without any further actions being required. With image recording rates of up to 61fps even rapid changes in the contact angle can be - [UV-Ozone cleaner](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/uv-ozone-cleaner/) - The UV Ozone Cleaner is capable of removing contamination from the surface of substrates and samples, providing ultraclean surfaces within minutes - [Spin Coater Delta6 SUSS MicroTec](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/spin-coater-delta6-suss-microtec/) - Delta6 RC Spin Coater from SUSS MicroTec used to coat solid substrates with polymer or lipid films. Adaptors available for squared and round substrates of 50mm diameter (or 50x50mm² surface) or rectangular (80x50mm² surface). Chuck rotation 0-10,000 rpm depending on size (please, check instructions before use). - [Langmuir trough KIBRON G1](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/langmuir-trough-kibron-g1/) - The Microtrough G1 is a small sized, modern Langmuir trough with inner dimensions, DxWxL (mm) 5 x 80 x 260 and compression ratio of 8.2. It is ideally suited to be use in combination with the BAM or the optical ellipsometer. - [Time-Domain NMR - minispec mq20 (Brucker)](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/brucker-time-domain-nmr-minispec-mq20/) - Low resolution 20 MHz 1H NMR with gradient unit for the measurement of selfdiffusion coefficients. - [Physica MCR 501 Rheometer (Anton Paar)](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/anton-paar-physica-mcr-501-rheometer/) - The Anton Paar Physica MCR 501 rheometer allows on line (SANS and reflectometry beam line) and off line rheological measurements. Plate plate, cone and plate, and Couette geometries are available allowing a wide range of sample viscosity to be studied. - [FT/IR-4600 (Jasco)](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/ft-ir-4600-by-jasco/) - The FT/IR-4600 is an entry level Mid-IR optical bench (7800 to 350 cm-1), but it still has a range of features that you find on research grade instruments, like KRS-5 windows to prevent damage to the interferometer. As standard It also has a Peltier stabilized DLA-TGS detector, as standard and a high output ceramic source. - [Beaglehole Picometer Light Ellipsometer](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/beaglehole-picometer-light-ellipsometer/) - A Beaglehole Picometer Light ellipsometer is optimised for interfacial characterisation at the air/liquid and air/solid interfaces. The interfacial excess can be determined to a precision and sensitivity of < 5% of a surfactant monolayer, and with complementary information or optical modelling the data can be used to quantify the adsorbed amount of material at an - [Microscope Olympus BX61](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/microscope-olympus-bx61/) - Thanks to the 3 different light sources and the filters and analysers mounted, the BX61 is a very versatile microscope. It allows the users to perform optical observation using the following imaging modes: Bright field (epi or dia-illumination) Phase contrast (dia-illumination) Differential Interference Contrast (epi-illumination) Fluorescence observation (epi-illumination at 3 different wavelengths: UV 360-370nm; Blue 470-490nm and Green 530-550nm). - [AFM-MFP3D Asylum Research](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/afm-cypher-s-asylum-research/) - The MFP-3D is ideal for many applications including physics, material science, polymer science, chemistry, nanolithography, bioscience, and quantitative nanoscale measurements. Thanks to the relatively large XY scanning size, the Z range and the possibility to scan area on sample more than 5mm thick, it is suited to study cells and large samples. Instrument proprieties: Standard - [AFM-Cypher S Asylum Research](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/afm-cypher-s-asylum-research-2/) - Thanks to its built-in features, the Cypher-S provides significant easiness of use and performance benefits for imaging topography, mechanical, electrical, and magnetic properties in air and liquids. Instrument Features and proprieties: Standard Scanning modes : Contact : uses feedback on deflection. AC: uses feedback on amplitude. Force: force curve acquisition and mapping in contact or AC - [HPLC Pump for Lipid Extraction](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/hplc-pump-for-lipid-extraction/) - HPLC Pump to be used with the Lipid extraction platform only. - [Plasma cleaner](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/plasma-cleaner/) - The Plasma Cleaner serves as an excellent tool for surface cleaning, surface preparation and surface modification. Plasma treatment may be applied to a wide variety of materials, including metals, ceramics, composites, plastics, polymers and biomaterials. - [Ellipsometer for Solids](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/ellipsometer-for-solids/) - This is an "home made" ellipsometer by Patrice Ballet at the University Joseph Fourier (Grenoble). The principle of this rotating quarter wave plate ellipsometer can be found at this address : http://pagesperso-orange.fr/aime.vareille/pages/ellipsometrie/ The laser diodes 2 & 3 are required to find the number of periods of the signal. The signal acquisition is done with an A/D - [Langmuir Trough NIMA 611](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/langmuir-trough-nima-611/) - Nima 611 Langmuir trough used for the preparation of layers on solid substrates from insoluble amphiphilic molecules, typically lipids but also polymers and proteins. Trough surface 300x200 mm² 1 barrier Dipper and well at one end Dimensions well: 63x180 mm² 70mm deep Temperature control Pressure sensor uses a Wilhelmy plate (chromatography paper of wet perimeter - [Langmuir Trough NIMA 1212D](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/langmuir-trough-nima-1212d/) - Nima Langmuir trough 1212D used for the preparation of layers on solid substrates from insoluble amphiphilic molecules, typically lipids but also polymers and proteins. Trough surface 680x200 mm2 2 independent barriers Dipper and well at center Dimensions well: 90x110 mm2 85mm deep Temperature control Pressure sensor uses a Wilhelmy plate (chromatography paper of wet perimeter 20.6mm - [Brewster Angle Microscope Nanofilm EP3](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/brewster-angle-microscope-nanofilm-ep3/) - The BAM utilizes the fact that when p-polarized light is guided towards an air-water interface, no reflection occurs at a certain incident angle. This angle, the Brewster angle, is determined by Snell's law and depends on the refractive indices of the materials in the system. The Brewster angle for the air-water interface is 53°, and - [Brewster Angle Microscope (BAM) EP3](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/equipment/brewster-angle-microscope-bam-ep3/) - The Accurion EP3-BAM is used to image thin films on solid or liquid substrates. To obtain image contrast, the BAM uses the principle that at a certain incidence (Brewster) angle the p-polarized laser beam is not reflected at all by the substrate-air interface. The Brewster angle depends only on the refractive index (RI) of the ## Partners - [Tommy Nylander and Adrian Rennie](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/partner/tommy-nylander-and-adrian-rennie/) - Professor Tommy Nylander, Physical Chemistry, Dept. of Chemistry, Lund University, Sweden. Professor Nylander completed his PhD in Biophysical Technology at Lund University and did a postdoc at Applied Mathematics, ANU, Australia. The main theme of his scientific activity has been to relate interfacial behaviour of surface-active molecule to their solution behaviour. The focus has been - [João Cabral](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/partner/joao-cabral/) - João Cabral obtained his first degree in Physics Engineering (IST Lisbon), followed by a stay at the Laboratoire Léon Brillouin (Saclay) with J. Teixeira and MC Bellissent-Funel, and PhD (2002) in polymer thermodynamics at Imperial College London with J. S. Higgins. After a postdoc at NIST (2002-5) in Maryland, USA, with J. F. Douglas, A - [Michael Gradzielski](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/partner/michael-gradzielski-2/) - Michael Gradzielski studied chemistry at the Universität Bayreuth, Germany, and received his PhD there in 1992 (Prof. H. Hoffmann). After a post-doc at the Laboratoire de Physique Statistique at the Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris (Prof. D. Langevin), he obtained his habilitation for Physical Chemistry at the Universität Bayreuth in 2000. Since 2004 he is full - [Roberta Angelini and Barbara Ruzicka](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/partner/roberta-angelini-and-barbara-ruzicka/) - Roberta Angelini studied physics at the University of L’Aquila, Italy and she got her PhD at Université J. Fourier, Grenoble, France with an experimental thesis developed at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in the Inelastic X-ray Scattering group. After two years postdoc at Sapienza University of Rome, she become researcher. Barbara Ruzicka studied physics - [Erik Reimhult](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/partner/erik-reimhult/) - Co-proposer : Helga C. Lichtenegger Erik Reimhult studied applied physics at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and received his Ph.D. in 2004 with Prof. Bengt Kasemo. After postdocs at the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering in Singapore (Prof. Wolfgang Knoll) and ETH Zürich in Switzerland (Prof. Marcus Textor), he took up a full professorship - [Sarah Köster](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/partner/sarah-koster/) - Co-proposer : Tim Salditt Sarah Köster studied physics at the University of Ulm, Germany, and performed PhD research work at the University of Ulm, Boston University and the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization in Göttingen, Germany. In 2006, she received her PhD from the University of Göttingen. After a postdoctoral period at Harvard - [Oriano Francescangeli](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/partner/oriano-francescangeli/) - Oriano Francescangeli received his degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Ancona in 1984. In 1988 he joined the University of Ancona as an assistant professor and in 1999 was appointed associate professor of experimental physics. Since 2011 he is full professor of experimental physics at the Polytechnic University of Marche (UnivPM), Italy. He - [Tim Salditt](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/partner/tim-salditt/) - Tim Salditt studied physics in Munich and in Grenoble. He was one of the first users of ESRF in 1993 before he received his PhD from the University of Munich in 1995. Since his Postdoctoral work at Santa Barbara, he is interested in unraveling the structure and interactions of biomolecular systems, with increasing complexity, starting - [Klaus Huber](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/partner/klaus-huber/) - Klaus Huber is a Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Paderborn in Germany. His research interests include polyelectrolytes, nucleation and growth of minerals, and the impact of macromolecular crowding on self-assembly and folding of biopolymers. Experimental expertise lies on light and small angle neutron and x-ray scattering. The project analysed the collapse and ## Staff - [Alexis Guinet](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/staff/alexis-guinet/) - Après des études de maintenance des équipements de manutention en France, Alexis a rejoint le PSCM en 2025. Il est en charge de la maintenance de nombreux instruments au PSCM (microscopes, spectromètre UV, Rheometer...), et travaille au quotidien dans le laboratoire du PSCM. - [Narayanan Theyencheri](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/staff/theyencheri-narayanan/) - [Michael Krisch](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/staff/michael-krisch/) - [Leonardo Chiappisi](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/staff/leonardo-chiappisi/) - His scientific interests are mostly focused on the preparation of complex functional systems from the spontaneous organisation of simple colloidal building blocks in aqueous solution and at interfaces. In his research, strong emphasis is put on the understanding of the thermodynamic forces driving the assembly processes, as well as the characterisation of the resulting structures - [Jaques Jestin](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/staff/jaques-jestin/) - [Diego Pontoni](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/staff/diego-pontoni/) - He graduated in Nuclear Physics at the University of Trieste (Italy) and performed post-graduate research in Detector Physics and Electronics applied to X-ray digital radiography (Prof E. Castelli) at the ELETTRA Synchrotron (Italy). He then moved to the ESRF in Grenoble (Dr. T. Narayanan, ID02) for a Ph.D. in Chemistry obtained from King’s College London - [Ralf Schweins](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/staff/ralf-schweins/) - [Pierre Lloria](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/staff/pierre-lloria/) - After studying applied physics and instrumentation in France and Ireland, Pierre joined the PSCM in 2015. He is in chacharge of many instruments at the PSCM (microscopes, UV-spectrometer, Rheometer…), and works in the PSCM sample preparation laboratory on a daily basis. Since his arrival at the ESRF, he greatly profits of the interaction with scientists, - [Peter van der Linden](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/staff/peter-van-der-linden/) - After engineering school in Eindhoven, Peter worked for five years at the High Field Magnet Laboratory of Nijmegen Unive University on the development of cryogenic sample cooling down to 1.2 Kelvin and measurements of resistivity and magnetisation in fields up to 25 Tesla. He came to the Grenoble High Field Magnet Laboratory in 1994 where - [Martina Sandroni](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/staff/martina-sandroni/) - She graduated in Chemistry at the University of Torino (Italy), then she moved to Nantes, France for a Ph.D. on copper(I) complexes for solar energy conversion, that she obtained in 2012. Afterwards, she continued her research on coordination complexes during post-docs in Canada (Sherbrooke) and France (Brest, Grenoble). Part of her activity focused again on ## Research activities - [Lipid membranes](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/research/lipid-membranes/) - Studying lipid membranes is essential to understand their behaviour, design novel drugs, and target specific functions. At the PSCM, substantial efforts are deployed to increase our understanding of lipid membranes through well-characterized membrane models for physical and biological studies. Research activity covers: (i) extraction and purification of deuterated natural lipids from yeast and bacteria, to - [Sample Environment](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/research/sample-environment/) - In addition to offering access to a wide range of conventional laboratory tools for the preparation and characterization of soft matter samples, the PSCM contributes also to the in-house development of specific setups and technologies aimed at a more efficient use of the ILL and ESRF large-scale instruments allowing the users to perform experiments under - [Polymers](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/research/polymers/) - Given the importance of polymers in our worlds, it is appropriate to define our time as the Age of Polymers, in analogy to the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Age. At the PSCM, polymers play a very important role, and we investigate the behaviour of polymer blends, polymer solutions, polymer coatings, microgels, and mixtures of polymers - [Complex Systems](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/research/complex-systems/) - The PSCM contributes also to research endeavours that address materials ranging from colloids to complex systems, and involving both fundamental scientific interest and widespread applications with societal impact. For example, we (a) synthesize model colloids and characterize their structural and dynamical features across phase transitions, (b) investigate in-situ the nucleation, growth and aggregation of nanoparticles - [Self-Assembly](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/research/self-assembly/) - Controlling the spontaneous assembly of colloidal objects into supramolecular particles is one of the main research lines at the PSCM. In particular, we study the self-assembly of surfactant molecules, the formation of inclusion complexes with cyclodextrins, and their interaction with polymers in aqueous solution and at interfaces. In this context, natural polyelectrolytes play a primary - [Active Matter](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/research/active-matter/) - Last two decades brought a spectacular increase of scientific research devoted to synthetic and living systems that extract energy from their environment at the single particle level and convert to mechanical work in the form of self-propulsion. These systems are out-of-equilibrium and manifest a variety of collective phenomena as the control parameters are tuned. Examples ## Categories - [Non classé](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/category/non-classe/) - [Soft Matter Café](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/category/soft-matter-cafe/) - [Webinar](https://pscm-grenoble.eu/category/webinar/)