Combining USAXS with osmotic pressure measurements: a tool for investigating the equation of states of diluted charged colloids

We have developed a cell allowing in situ measurement of the osmotic pressure of solutions under Ultra Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (USAXS) examination. The coupled set-up made of a Bonse/Hart camera and a deionisation close circuit allows the combined determination of the structure factor and the equation of state of colloidal suspensions. A precise control of ions concentration inside the reservoir allows to vary the ionic strength of the suspensions from the very pure case of colloidal crystals to sols with tunable screening of electrostatic repulsive interactions. We describe in detail the experimental set-ups and the data treatment methodology that we have been developing in the last years to allow detailed measurements of interactions and correlations between spherical particles. A review of our recent results obtained on the model system of negatively charged parabromostyrene latex particles forming solutions, crystals and microcrystals, is given as an illustration.