In Situ Synchrotron Radiation X‐Ray Microspectroscopy of Polymer Microcontainers

Abstract

Direct, real-time analytical techniques that provide high-resolution information on the chemical composition and submicrometer structure of various polymer micro- and nanoparticles are in high demand in a range of life science disciplines. Synchrotron-based scanning transmission X-ray microspectroscopy (STXM) combines both local-spot chemical information (assessed via near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy) and imaging with resolution of several tens of nanometers, and thus can yield new insights into the nanoscale properties of these materials. Furthermore, this method allows in situ examination of soft-matter samples in aqueous/gaseous environments and under external stimuli, such as temperature, pressure, ultrasound, and light irradiation. This Minireview highlights some recent progress in the application of the STXM technique to study the temperature-dependent behavior of polymer core-shell microcapsules and to characterize the physicochemical properties of the supporting shells of gas-filled microbubbles in their natural hydrated state.

Polyhydroxylated Metallofullerenols Stimulate IL‐1β Secretion of Macrophage through TLRs/MyD88/NF‐κB Pathway and NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation

“…For X‐rays, the energy of the X‐ray photons is of the order of the binding energies of the atomic core electrons and this makes the X‐ray spectroscopy element‐specific. Thus, the X‐ray absorption spectrum reveals the characteristic absorption edges of the elements and their chemical surroundings in the sample . STXM enables high‐resolution NEXAFS spectroscopy and imaging, both at the 30‐nm length scale with thin sample materials.…”

Mesoscale Phase Distribution in Single Particles of LiFePO4 following Lithium Deintercalation

“…38,39 Despite an early 3D FF TXM study at the Mo K-edge with a resolution of about 2–3µm, 40 the field of chemically resolved TXM has been dominated by STXM in the soft X-ray region. 41–44 More recently, FF TXM has been applied to distinguish chemical compositions at the Ni K 45 and Ti L-edges. 46 The latter report showed that hard X-ray TXM is particularly suited to the study of hierarchical structures in functional materials such as battery electrodes due to the strong X-ray penetration and depth of focus, enabling the study of large areas in 2D and 3D.…”

Quantitative X-ray microscopic analysis of individual thermoresponsive microgel particles in aqueous solution

“…The resulting water microbasin was hermetically sealed with varnish. 53 To avoid absorption saturation by the aqueous environment only samples with water lm thicknesses below 10 micrometres were used. The specimen temperature was controlled with a modied sample holder equipped with a heating resistor and a Pt 200 sensor.…”