Applications of Synchrotron-Based X-ray Microprobes

Analysis of engineered nanomaterials in complex matrices (environment and biota): General considerations and conceptual case studies

“…The fastest expanding technique is most likely ICP-MS, which, within a few years, had its status changed from an advanced technique to a routine analytical method. A number of X-ray-based techniques, such as X-ray absorption and fluorescence, as well as their microfocused declinations, are applicable, in theory, to the entire periodic table [6]. Although ICP-MS and laser ablation ICP-MS are capable only of determining total elemental concentrations on a bulk or spatially resolved basis, respectively, synchrotron-based X-ray absorption techniques also are able to probe chemical speciation and the local electronic structure of elements.…”

“…Synchrotron-based X-ray microscopy in combination with micro-or nano-focused X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction has been widely applied to determine the spatial distribution, structure, and chemical speciation of elements in biological and geological samples [6,49]. These techniques have gained recent application in determining the localization chemical and physical forms of nanomaterials in cells tissues [7,50].…”

Beam-induced oxidation of monomeric U(IV) species

“…In particular, element-specific mapping using an X-ray microbeam can be employed to determine the association of heavy metals such as uranium with other elements in the sample, and provide insights into surface species and solid phases (e.g. Bertsch & Hunter, 2001;Kemner et al, 2004;Punshon et al, 2005). Because of the relatively high incident photon-flux density applied to the sample while using microbeam XAS techniques (Lombi et al, 2011), there is an increased likelihood that uraninite or monomeric U(IV) could be reoxidized during sample analysis.…”

Diffraction techniques and vibrational spectroscopy opportunities to characterise bones

“…Among the techniques often used to characterise such biological samples, diffraction techniques (using neutrons, X-rays or electrons as probes) [5] and vibrational spectroscopy (including Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy) [6,7] constitute two families very effective to study mineralised tissues. Recent experimental developments permit now in vivo experiments at the micrometre scale [8,9]. The literature upon diffraction techniques and Raman spectroscopy is large, and numerous excellent review papers and books exist in which the physics associated with and specific experimental devices are described in detail [10,11].…”