Schematic of Experimental Setup (IMAGE) DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory Caption The sketch shows how the X-rays hit the membrane at a slight angle and scatter off the surface. They are then captured by a detector that records the so-called scattering pattern of the X-rays that is specific to the membrane's molecular structure. The top left panel shows two different molecular structures, which are also called molecular packing motifs. The results of the measurements suggest that the perpendicular motif (lower right) could be correlated with superior filtration properties. Credit Brookhaven National Laboratory Usage Restrictions OK to use with stories about this research. License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.