Journal of Synchrotron Radiation (May 2024)

A sub-100 nm thickness flat jet for extreme ultraviolet to soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy

  • Dario De Angelis,
  • Luca Longetti,
  • Gabriele Bonano,
  • Jacopo Stefano Pelli Cresi,
  • Laura Foglia,
  • Matteo Pancaldi,
  • Flavio Capotondi,
  • Emanuele Pedersoli,
  • Filippo Bencivenga,
  • Marija Krstulovic,
  • Ralf Hendrik Menk,
  • Sergio D'Addato,
  • Stefano Orlando,
  • Monica de Simone,
  • Rebecca A. Ingle,
  • Davide Bleiner,
  • Marcello Coreno,
  • Emiliano Principi,
  • Majed Chergui,
  • Claudio Masciovecchio,
  • Riccardo Mincigrucci

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1107/S1600577524001875
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 31, no. 3
pp. 605 – 612

Abstract

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Experimental characterization of the structural, electronic and dynamic properties of dilute systems in aqueous solvents, such as nanoparticles, molecules and proteins, are nowadays an open challenge. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is probably one of the most established approaches to this aim as it is element-specific. However, typical dilute systems of interest are often composed of light elements that require extreme-ultraviolet to soft X-ray photons. In this spectral regime, water and other solvents are rather opaque, thus demanding radical reduction of the solvent volume and removal of the liquid to minimize background absorption. Here, we present an experimental endstation designed to operate a liquid flat jet of sub-micrometre thickness in a vacuum environment compatible with extreme ultraviolet/soft XAS measurements in transmission geometry. The apparatus developed can be easily connected to synchrotron and free-electron-laser user-facility beamlines dedicated to XAS experiments. The conditions for stable generation and control of the liquid flat jet are analyzed and discussed. Preliminary soft XAS measurements on some test solutions are shown.

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