The great limitation of neutron reflectometry is that it has so far not been possible to do experiments on the mica surface. However, nearly all the important measurements of colloidal forces involving surfactant or polymer coated surfaces have been done on the mica surface using the surface force balance. It would be enormously valuable to have structural information about the adsorbed layers to complement the force measurements. Recently Wuge Briscoe has devised an experimental setup for doing this experiment using x-rays rather than neutrons. So far we have mainly explored surfactants and surfactant mixtures adsorbed on the mica surface. These experiments are proving extremely successful and the first publications should soon start to appear.
Wuge Briscoe's website is at http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/briscoe-group/