A new approach for probing matter in periodic nanoconfinements using neutron scattering

Spin-echo small-angle neutron scattering is used to measure the average density of a charge-stabilized colloidal silica suspension confined in an array of channels whose width is a few times the particle diameter. The particle density in the channels is almost twice that in the neighboring colloidal fluid and is consistent with the particles organizing in close-packed sheets parallel to the channel walls.