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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 8, 2025

Single Particle Cryo-Electron Microscopy: From Sample to Structure

Single Particle Cryo-Electron Microscopy: From Sample to Structure

Published on: May 29, 2021

Ice nucleation imaged with X-ray spectro-microscopy.

Peter A Alpert¹, Anthony Boucly^1,2, Shuo Yang^1,3

¹Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute 5232 Villigen PSI Switzerland Peter.Alpert@psi.ch.

Environmental Science: Atmospheres

|June 13, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study reveals how mineral dust and organic matter influence ice nucleation. Ferrihydrite and feldspar particles were analyzed using X-ray experiments, providing insights into atmospheric ice formation processes.

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Area of Science:

Atmospheric Science
Geochemistry
Materials Science

Background:

Ice nucleation is a critical yet poorly understood microphysical process in the atmosphere.
Heterogeneous ice nucleation on mineral dust and organic particles significantly impacts cloud formation and climate.
Existing models often lack detailed mechanistic understanding of particle-ice interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate heterogeneous ice nucleation mechanisms on mineral dust (ferrihydrite, feldspar) mixed with organic matter (citric acid, xanthan gum).
To utilize a novel cryogenic X-ray experiment for in situ spectroscopic analysis of individual ice nucleating particles.
To enhance the understanding of deposition ice nucleation and immersion freezing processes.

Main Methods:

Employed a novel cryogenic X-ray experiment with an environmental ice cell (INXCell).
Utilized Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy (STXM) for in situ ice nucleation observation.
Applied Near-Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy to identify particle composition and chemical states.

Main Results:

Ferrihydrite exhibited deposition ice nucleation at ~232 K and high relative humidity (RH_i ~120-138%), with observed water uptake even without ice formation.
Immersion freezing of ferrihydrite occurred near homogeneous freezing conditions, indicating a minor role as an immersion ice nucleus.
Feldspar mixed with xanthan gum showed deposition ice nucleation in a glassy state and immersion freezing under less viscous conditions.

Conclusions:

The study provides detailed in situ observations of ice nucleation on mineral-organic mixtures using advanced X-ray techniques.
The developed Stochastic Freezing Model (SFM) successfully quantified nucleation rates and predicted observed ice formation conditions.
Ferrihydrite's role as a heterogeneous ice nucleating particle in the atmosphere warrants further investigation using the SFM.