A vacuum-compatible wet-specimen chamber for compact X-ray microscopy.

Area of Science:

• Microscopy
• Materials Science
• Biophysics

Background:

• Soft X-ray microscopy is vital for studying materials like polymers and soils in their native liquid states.
• Compact X-ray microscopes require specialized sample holders to accommodate liquid environments and minimize gravitational effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel wet-specimen chamber for compact X-ray microscopy.
• To enable the imaging of hydrated specimens under vacuum conditions within a compact X-ray microscope.

Main Methods:

• Development of a vacuum-compatible wet-specimen chamber.
• Implementation of mechanical and bio-compatible glue sealing for vacuum integrity.
• Testing the chamber's performance in maintaining an aqueous environment under vacuum (10^-4 mbar).

Main Results:

• The developed wet-specimen chamber successfully maintains specimens in an aqueous environment under vacuum for several hours.
• The chamber is compatible with compact X-ray microscopy, allowing horizontal sample mounting.
• Demonstrated functionality through imaging of lipid droplets in water.

Conclusions:

• The novel wet-specimen chamber is effective for soft X-ray microscopy of liquid samples.
• This technology enhances the study of hydrated materials by enabling imaging under vacuum conditions.
• The chamber's design reduces exposure times and minimizes gravitational influences on samples.