Applications of optical sensors to the detection of light scattered from gelling systems

Visible light, scattered within an angle of few degrees, (Small Angle Light Scattering, SALS) yields information on the spatial correlations and dynamical properties on the scale of the micrometers. In this way a quick and non-invasive characterization of a variety of samples is feasible. Lately the SALS instruments have been built around multielement optical sensors (CCD, CMOS), allowing the simultaneous measurement of the complete structure factor even during fast kinetics. An assessment of some sensor matrices of different technology will be presented. The macromolecular assemblies produced by polysaccharides or proteins can be functional or dysfunctional, their properties being either desirable or detrimental. Anyhow, their morphology often depends, in a very delicate way, on the presence of cosolutes, on the thermal history, on the biopolymer concentration etc. We present some applications of low angle dynamic and static light scattering to the study of gelling systems (agarose, pectin, insulin).