An in situ liquid environment for synchrotron hard X-ray nanoprobe microscopy

Abstract

Studying chemical reactions in an environment that closely mimics the system’s natural operating conditions can offer crucial insights into dynamic oxidation processes. Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEMs) and X-ray Nanoprobes allow the use of imaging and spectroscopy to access nanoscale chemical and structural information about these processes. However, the controlled operating conditions and constraints make the design and implementation of in situ sample environments challenging. Here, we outline the setup of an in situ liquid sample environment for the Hard X-ray Nanoprobe beamline (I14) at Diamond Light Source. The liquid environment allows for the imaging and spectroscopic analysis of samples exposed to liquid flow, with heating up to 80℃. The capability is demonstrated with an example experiment studying iron corrosion. The design of the sample cell offers the prospect of combining X-ray and electron microscopy for the in situ multi-length scale imaging and spectroscopy of samples in liquid.