Title: dynamic light scattering
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - dynamic light scattering
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.12275
Status: current

Definition
Experimental method based on the measurement of the time autocorrelation function of the intensity of light scattered from a polymer solution or a dispersion of particles.

Note
The basic information that can be obtained from the time autocorrelation function of a polymer solution or a dispersion is: (i) for a uniform polymer or a uniform dispersion, the diffusion coefficient of the macromolecules or the dispersed particles; (ii) for a non-uniform polymer or a non-uniform dispersion, the distribution function of diffusion coefficients of the macromolecules or the dispersed particles.

Related Terms
- non-uniform dispersion: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/12273
- uniform dispersion: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/12272

Source
- PAC, 2015, 87, 71. 'Definitions of terms relating to individual macromolecules, macromolecular assemblies, polymer solutions, and amorphous bulk polymers (IUPAC Recommendations 2014)' on page 107 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2013-0201)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/12275/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/12275/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/12275/xml

Citation: Citation: 'dynamic light scattering' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.12275
License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms.
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Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.
Accessed: 2026-07-24T07:15:19+00:00