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Updated: Jul 6, 2026
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Induction of Microstreaming by Nonspherical Bubble Oscillations in an Acoustic Levitation System
Published on: May 9, 2021
Structure analysis using acoustically levitated droplets
J Leiterer1, F Delissen, F Emmerling
1BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing-Analytical Chemistry, I.3 Structural Analysis, Reference Materials, Richard-Willstaetter-Str. 11, 10317, Berlin, Germany. jork@leiterer.de
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
|April 1, 2008
Summary
Acoustic levitation enables efficient synchrotron X-ray analysis of small samples. This method suppresses contamination and parasitic scattering, allowing in situ studies of agglomeration and crystallization.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biophysics
- Chemistry
Background:
- Characterizing small or expensive samples using synchrotron diffraction is challenging.
- Traditional sample handling methods can lead to contamination and parasitic scattering.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present acoustic levitation as a novel sample handling technique for micrometer-sized samples.
- To demonstrate its utility in time-resolved synchrotron X-ray scattering experiments.
- To investigate agglomeration and crystallization processes in situ.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing acoustic levitation to suspend small solid and liquid samples in an ultrasonic field.
- Employing time-resolved synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS).
- Continuously increasing sample concentration via solvent evaporation to study in situ processes.
Main Results:
- Acoustic levitation effectively minimized absorption and contamination on sample container walls.
- Parasitic scattering, common with glass capillaries, was absent.
- Initial results showcase the study of ascorbic acid, acetylsalicylic acid, apoferritin, and colloidal gold.
Conclusions:
- Acoustic levitation is a powerful tool for handling small samples in synchrotron X-ray experiments.
- This technique facilitates in situ investigations of dynamic processes like crystallization.
- It offers a cleaner and more efficient alternative to conventional sample handling methods.
