Elliot Paul Gilbert

• PhD, Chemical Physics, Australian National University
• Professor at Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation

The nutritive value of a protein is determined not only by its amino acid composition, but also by its digestibility in the gastrointestinal tract. The interaction between proteins and pepsin in the gastric stage is the first step and plays an important role in protein hydrolysis. Moreover, it affects the amino acid release rates and the allergenic...

Meeting report John white Symposium

Many cell types within whole living organisms continuously sense external forces from their microenvironment through an extracellular matrix that orchestrates biophysically-cued cellular processes and mechanosensitive cell behaviours. Studying cells in 3D environments rather than in conventional 2D, is increasingly seen as a necessity for obtaining...

Cu$_2$OSeO$_3$ is a multiferroic insulating chiral magnet which exhibits various magnetic orderings at different conditions. The positions of these magnetic phase transitions are known to be sensitive to chemical substitution. Here, we present a universality class analysis of the Cu$_2$OSe$_{1-x}$Te$_x$O$_3$ with $(0\leq x \leq 0.1)$. Tellurium is...

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are a promising tool for biomedical applications, including drug delivery, imaging, and magnetic hyperthermia. However, their tendency to agglomerate limits their performance efficiency. To overcome...

The crystallization kinetics of Zr46Cu46Al8 and Zr56Cu36Al8 bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) during isothermal annealing in the supercooled liquid region has been studied using in situ simultaneous differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) technique. Zr46Cu46Al8, known for its good glass forming ability (GFA), ex...

Collagen networks contribute to tissue architecture and modulate cellular responses in crowded three-dimensional environments. Therefore, it is the most widely used biological polymer in three-dimensional studies of cellular interactions with the extracellular matrix. In-vivo, collagen exists embedded within additional matrix components. Studies ha...

This chapter summarizes recent advances in oleofoam systems, the current understanding of their structure, and also proposes new characterization methods, which could give new insights into these systems. Despite their potential for food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products, in comparison to aqueous foam systems, oleofoam research is still in its...

Conventional channel-based microfluidic platforms have gained prominence in controlling the bottom-up formation of phospholipid based nanostructures including liposomes. However, there are challenges in the production of liposomes from rapidly scalable processes. These have been overcome using a vortex fluidic device (VFD), which is a thin film mic...

Obituary for Professor John White.

A round-robin study has been carried out to estimate the impact of the human element in small-angle scattering data analysis. Four corrected datasets were provided to participants ready for analysis. All datasets were measured on samples containing spherical scatterers, with two datasets in dilute dispersions and two from powders. Most of the 46 pa...

Despite being the major cause of safety and performance issues in lithium metal batteries, experimental difficulties in quantifying directly the morphology of lithium deposited at electrode surfaces have meant that the mechanism of metallic lithium growth within batteries remains elusive. This study demonstrates that quantitative detail about the m...

The effect of Ca2+ on pepsin-induced hydrolysis of κ-casein and subsequent coagulation of casein micelles was studied in a micellar casein (MC) solution at pH ≈ 6.0 at 37 °C without stirring. An NaCl-supplemented MC solution was used as a positive control to assess the effect of increased ionic strength after CaCl2 addition. Quantitative determinat...

Despite being the major cause of battery safety issues and detrimental performance, a comprehensive growth mechanism for metallic lithium deposited at electrode surfaces in lithium metal batteries remains elusive. While lithium surface morphology is often derived indirectly, here, detailed information is directly obtained using in situ small and ul...

A Round Robin study has been carried out to estimate the impact of the human element in small-angle scattering data analysis. Four corrected datasets were provided to participants ready for analysis. All datasets were measured on samples containing spherical scatterers, with two datasets in dilute dispersions, and two from powders. Most of the 46 p...

Skyrmions are topologically protected quantum objects at the nanometre scale. They form perpendicular to an applied magnetic field at a certain temperature and arrange themselves in a typically hexagonal lattice. Using small angle neutron scattering we have determined the magnetic field versus temperature phase diagrams of the stability range of th...

Fibrin is the provisional matrix formed after injury, setting the trajectory for the subsequent stages of wound healing. It is commonly used as a wound sealant and a natural hydrogel for three-dimensional (3D) biophysical studies. However, the traditional thrombin-driven fibrin systems are poorly controlled. Therefore, the precise roles of fibrin’s...

Precipitation hardening is a promising approach for strengthening of Hadfield steels. The present study examines the potential to achieve this by combining vanadium addition (up to 2 wt pct) with short-time aging (15 minutes) at 1173 K (900 °C). It was found that such a treatment is sufficient to generate a dispersion of nanoscale precipitates that...

A virtual special issue of Journal of Applied Crystallography brings together a series of articles on magnetic small-angle neutron scattering, with the aim of raising awareness of the range of science cases that can be addressed with the technique and exploring future challenges related to magnetic SANS theory and data analysis. It is also hoped th...

Milks from small ruminant animals, such as goat and sheep, have gained increasing interest from the industry for the manufacture of various dairy products such as yoghurts. Heat treatment of milk is typically applied to improve the yoghurt texture. Here, time-resolved ultra-small angle neutron scattering (USANS) and small-angle neutron scattering (...

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of hemicellulose-cellulose interactions on the anisotropic structure of the bacterial cellulose (BC) ribbon network. BC-arabinoxylan (BC-AX) and BC-mixed linkage glucan (BC-MLG) composites were prepared. The mechanical/rheological behaviour was evaluated by compression combined with small amplitude...

Using small-angle neutron scattering, we have investigated higher-order peaks in the skyrmion-lattice phase of Cu2OSeO3 in which two different skyrmion lattices, SkX1 and SkX2, are known to form. For each skyrmion-lattice phase, we observed two sets of symmetrically inequivalent peaks at the higher-order-reflection positions with the indices (110)...

The effect of whey proteins and heat treatment (90°C, 5 min) on pepsin-induced hydrolysis of κ-casein, and subsequent coagulation of casein micelles, was investigated at pH 6.3 and 6.0 using reverse-phase HPLC, oscillatory rheology, and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Whey proteins did not affect the hydrolysis of κ-casein but retarded the coag...

Fibrin is commonly used as a natural hydrogel for three-dimensional (3D) cell culture but is poorly defined. We demonstrate a novel snake venom-controlled fibrin system with tunable architectural and mechanical properties. Employing the snake venom-derived protein ecarin, which rapidly activates the thrombin precursor prothrombin, we establish a tu...

To elucidate starch structural features underlying resistant starch formation, wheat starch granules with three (A-, B- and C- type) crystalline polymorphisms and a range of amylose contents were digested in vitro. The changes in multi-level structure of digestion residues were compared. In the residues of A- and C-type starches, the molecular fine...

Mixtures of β-sitosterol and γ-oryzanol form gels in a range of organic solvents. Despite being widely studied, particularly as potential oleogels for food application, details of the intrinsic gel-forming building blocks remain unclear. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) combined with solvent contrast variation has been used to evaluate potenti...

Precipitation hardening is a promising approach for strengthening of Hadfield steels to provide resistance to wear loss due to gouging in the initial ‘running-in’ period of mining components. The present study examines the potential to achieve this by combining vanadium addition (up to 2 wt.%) with short time aging (15 min) at 900 °C. It was found...

Using small angle neutron scattering, we have investigated higher-order peaks in the skyrmion-lattice phase of Cu$_2$OSeO$_3$, in which two different skyrmion lattices, SkX1 and SkX2, are known to form. For each skyrmion-lattice phase, we observed two sets of symmetrically inequivalent peaks at the higher-order-reflection positions with the indices...

The structure of sodium caseinate particles, as affected by the presence of calcium ions (Ca²⁺), in aqueous solution and in oil (toluene)-in-water emulsions, was investigated by small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS and SANS). SAXS analyses indicated that the sodium caseinate dispersed in water as small particles with electrostatic interac...

The nanostructures of temperature-responsive and biocompatible gels were investigated by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The gels were copolymerized using two types of monomers with different ethylene glycol side chain lengths: diethylene glycol methacrylate (MeO2MA) (short side chain) and oligo-ethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate (OEG...

Hydrolysis-induced coagulation of casein micelles by pepsin occurs during the digestion of milk. In this study, the effect of pH (6.7–5.3) and pepsin concentration (0.110–2.75 U/mL) on the hydrolysis of κ-casein and the coagulation of the casein micelles in bovine skim milk was investigated at 37°C using reverse-phase HPLC, oscillatory rheology, an...

The accessibility of pores to methane has been investigated in Devonian New Albany Shale Formation early-mature (Ro = 0.50%) to post-mature (Ro = 1.40%) samples. A Marcellus Shale Formation sample was included to expand the maturation range to Ro 2.50%. These are organic matter-rich rocks with total organic carbon (TOC) values of 3.4 to 14.4% and p...

The effect of ionic strength on the heat-induced gelation of quinoa protein isolates (QPI) at pH 7 was investigated. The gelation behaviour and gel strength were characterised by oscillatory rheology. The microstructural characteristics of QPI solutions and gels were probed by ultra-small angle neutron scattering (USANS), small-angle X-ray and neut...

One of the main challenges during gas production from shale reservoirs is low recovery rate. One contributing factor to this outcome is an insufficient understanding of pore systems, especially pore behavior following changes in reservoir conditions or resulting from gas production practices. Because the pressure in the producing well can be contro...

Accessibility of pore space in unconventional reservoirs is an important factor influencing both methane storage capacity and the kinetics of methane desorption. The determination of open (accessible) versus closed (inaccessible) porosity is therefore vital for the prediction of gas production potential. This study investigates accessibility of por...

Magnetic field dependent unpolarized small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments demonstrate that high-pressure torsion (HPT) straining induces spin misalignments in pure Ni, which persist in magnetic fields up to 4 T. The spin-misalignment scattering patterns are elongated perpendicular to the applied magnetic field due to an unusual predomi...

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) are thermodynamically metastable. As such, crystallization occurs when a BMG is thermally annealed at a temperature above the glass transition temperature. While extensive studies have been performed on the crystallization kinetics of BMGs, most of them have focused on the amorphous-to-crystalline structural ordering, a...

The relationship between gel strength and structure on the micro- and nano-scale has been investigated for oleogels prepared in a range of triglyceride (TAG) oils (sunflower, olive, medium chain triglyceride) using mixtures of oleic acid (OA) and sodium oleate (SO) as gelling agents. Microscopy indicated a reduction in crystal size with increasing...

Apparent amylose content is used to describe milled rice flour composition. This spectrophotometric method is often the only direct measurement of starch structure in routine quality analysis. However, starch exhibits 6 levels of structure. The (supra)molecular starch structure in rice flours was measured: average degree of branching by ¹H NMR spec...

Magnetic-field-dependent unpolarized small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments demonstrate that high-pressure torsion (HPT) straining induces spin misalignments in pure Ni, which persist in magnetic fields up to 4 T. The spin-misalignment scattering patterns are elongated perpendicular to the applied magnetic field due to an unusual predomi...

The presence of a liquid–liquid phase transition in the supercooled-liquid temperature range for a glass-forming Zr–Cu–Al–Ag alloy has been revealed using a suite of in situ neutron scattering techniques, including small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and total neutron scattering. The SANS data analysis is indicative of the enhancement of nanoscal...

We combine magnetometry and magnetic small-angle neutron scattering to study the influence of the microstructure on the macroscopic magnetic properties of a nanocrystalline Ni bulk sample, which was prepared by straining via high-pressure torsion (HPT). As seen by magnetometry, the mechanical deformation leads to a significant increase of the coerc...

A skyrmion is a topological stable particle-like object comparable to spin vortex at the nanometre scale. It consists of an about 50 nm large spin rotation which order in a 2 dimensional, typically hexagonal superstructure perpendicular to an applied external magnetic field. Its dynamics has links to flux line vortices as in high temperature superc...

We combine magnetometry and magnetic small-angle neutron scattering to study the influence of the microstructure on the macroscopic magnetic properties of a nanocrystalline Ni bulk sample, which was prepared by straining via high-pressure torsion. As seen by magnetometry, the mechanical deformation leads to a significant increase of the coercivity...

Alloy 709 (20Cr-25Ni-1.5Mo-Nb steel), a candidate structural alloy for Gen IV nuclear reactors, is expected to undergo microstructural evolution during long-term service at elevated temperatures, which in turn affects the mechanical behavior through changing contributions from precipitate and solute strengthening. For safe reactor design, it is imp...

The formation of nanosized spin misalignment can be observed in pure Fe processed via high-pressure torsion (HPT) straining. The magnetic field dependence of the small-angle neutron-scattering profiles indicates that spin misalignment is conserved in magnetic fields up to 10 T. This result demonstrates that HPT straining provides anomalous magnetic...

The action of the enzyme CGTase on corn and potato starch was studied to understand the influence of starch structure and cyclodextrin (CD) production. Native and hydrolysed materials were analysed using multiple characterisation methods enabling coverage over more than six orders of magnitude in length-scale. The production of CD was greater for c...

Front Cover: In article number 2000304, Jan Lauko, Gleb Yakubov, and co‐workers study the polymer bundle formation in temperature‐responsive polyisocyanopeptide hydrogels as a function of Hofmeister series ions. The molecular parameters obtained from small angle neutron scattering clearly shows changes in polymer conformation which map onto the tem...

One of the key factors influencing the mechanical properties of natural and synthetic extracellular matrices (ECM) is how large‐scale 3D gel‐like structures emerge from the molecular self‐assembly of individual polymers. Here, structural characterization using small‐angle neutron scattering (SANS) of ECM‐mimicking polyisocyanopeptide (PIC) hydrogel...

The quantitative study of polymorphism in fats is complicated due to their complex composition and consequent intricate crystallization behavior. We aimed to illustrate how quantitative phase analysis can be performed in crystallizing complex fats. The advantages of our proposed method are that detailed structural information or internal standards...

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements were performed on 32 rock samples from the southern Georgina Basin, central Australia to assess nanopore anisotropy. Anisotropy can only be determined from oriented core material, hence the samples were cut perpendicular to bedding in cores selected from three wells that intersect the base of the h...

Pronounced fibres are formed through simple shearing of a dense calcium caseinate dispersion. Both mechanical tests and scanning electron microscopy images demonstrate that the material is anisotropic. It is hypothesized that calcium caseinate aggregates, under shear, align into micro-fibres and bundle further into a hierarchical structure. Yet no...

For regular starches, gelatinisation occurs over a relatively narrow temperature range in excess water; however, high-amylose starches typically gelatinise over an extended temperature range by a process that is less understood. The present study compared granule organisation of high-amylose starches from wheat (HAWS) and maize (HAMS), and investig...

Agar-based extracts from Gelidium sesquipedale were generated by heat and combined heat-sonication, with and without the application of alkali pre-treatment. Pre-treatment yielded extracts with greater agar contents; however, it produced partial degradation of the agar, reducing its molecular weight. Sonication produced extracts with lower agar con...

Small-angle and ultra-small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering techniques provide structural information on the nanometer to micron length scale. This chapter describes the fundamentals of small-angle scattering (SAS) techniques and the advantages and disadvantages over other structural characterization methods. Factors to consider in the design of...

The most useful properties of food, i.e. the ones that are detected through look, touch and taste, are a manifestation of the food’s structure. Studies about how this structure develops or can be manipulated during food production and processing are a vital part of research in food science. This book provides the status of research on food structur...

Small-angle and ultra-small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering techniques provide structural information on the nanometre-to-micron length scale. This review describes recent examples and advances of these techniques in the field of food colloids. The article highlights the structural information that can be extracted when applied to all macronutri...

Liposomal formulations have important therapeutic applications in anti-cancer treatments but current formulations suffer from serious side effects, high dosage requirements and prolonged treatment. In this study, PEGylated azide-functionalized liposomes containing drug nanocrystals were investigated with the aim of increasing the drug payload and a...

The hierarchical organisation of polysaccharides in primary plant cell walls is responsible for their unique mechanical properties, and in turn for the textural and rheological properties of plant-based foods and ingredients. It is expected that at the nano scale, the mechanical properties of cell wall materials arise from a combination of structur...

The adsorption capacity of principal phenolic compounds onto cell walls from three apple varieties was investigated. Isothermal adsorption modelled with Langmuir, Freundlich and Redlich-Peterson equations were carried out over a range of concentrations from 0.5 to 30 mM before and after cell walls were subjected to boiling, oven-drying or freeze-dr...

Shell ferromagnetism is a new functional property of certain Heusler alloys which was recently observed in Ni50Mn45In5. We report the results of a comparative study of the magnetic microstructure of bulk Ni50Mn45In5 Heusler alloys using magnetometry, synchrotron x-ray diffraction, and magnetic small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). By combining unp...

The precipitation behavior of Y 2 O 3 and MnO nanoparticles after isothermal treatment, in a Ni-free N-containing oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steel was studied by wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), ultra-small-angle and small-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS/SAXS), small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and scanning transmission electron micro...

Recently, we reported the effect of mild alkaline treatment on the structure and enzymatic hydrolysis of waxy maize starch. Here, we have used extended-q small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) to examine the extent to which this treatment causes structural changes on even greater length scales — to yield a complete picture from the nanometre to micr...

Shell ferromagnetism is a new functional property of certain Heusler alloys which has been recently observed in $\mathrm{Ni}_{50}\mathrm{Mn}_{45}\mathrm{In}_{5}$. We report the results of a comparative study of the magnetic microstructure of bulk $\mathrm{Ni}_{50}\mathrm{Mn}_{45}\mathrm{In}_{5}$ Heusler alloys using magnetometry, synchrotron x-ray...

The effects of amyloglucosidase digestion on the multi-scale supramolecular structural changes of native corn starch were examined by ultra-small angle neutron scattering (USANS), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), particle sizing, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Well-defined and spherical pores were formed upon amyloglucosidase digestion...

The effect of molecular weight and temperature on the phase transition and internal structure of poly(N isopropylacrylamide) brush modified colloidal silica particles was investigated using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) between 15 and 45 °C. Dry particle analysis utilising transmission electron microscopy...

The structures of two hydrogels formed by purified brush-like polysaccharides from Plantago ovata seed mucilage have been characterised from the nanometre to micrometre scale by using a combination of SANS and USANS techniques. These two hydrogels have distinctly different melting and rheological properties, but the structure of their gel networks...