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With the increasing importance of light-responsive materials, it is vital to analyze the relationship between function and structural changes induced by light irradiation. Small-angle scattering (SAS) is effective for such structural analysis. However, quantitatively capturing local molecular structure formation and molecular reactions at a scale of less than 1 nm via SAS is difficult. In this study, to analyze the structure of non-equilibrium phenomena in light-responsive materials, a new sample environment has been developed for a time-of-flight small- and wide-angle neutron scattering instrument (TAIKAN), comprising a UV–Vis irradiation system, UV–Vis absorption measurement equipment and photodetector. Simultaneous measurement of small-angle neutron scattering and UV–Vis absorption was achieved. This system was used to demonstrate the in situ observation of UV–Vis irradiation-induced structural change of micelles formed by 4-butyl­azo­benzene-4′-(oxyethyl)­tri­methyl­ammonium bromide, which is a light-responsive surfactant, in an aqueous solution. The results showed that the present measuring system provides direct information on the interplay between changes in micelle structure and changes in molecular configuration.

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Portable Document Format (PDF) file https://doi.org/10.1107/S1600576722011104/jl5049sup1.pdf
This document includes a specification of the UV/Vis irradiation system, the effect of the mirror, and the model-fitting analysis of scattering profiles for the light-responsive micelles shown in the article


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