MRI Consortium: Development of Environmental Control for Resonant X-ray Scattering on Organic Samples

有机材料中的纳米尺度相互作用和结构对于我们理解其宏观性质和功能至关重要。这些有机材料的范围从工程（如凯夫拉，聚合物电池）到生物（如细胞蛋白质），但它们之间的共同点是，最终的固体性质是在液体处理过程中播种的，或者它们的许多性质和功能只发生在特定的操作环境中。共振软X射线散射（RSoXS）能够利用分子内的固有化学键探测这些材料的纳米结构，但目前RSoXS只能在真空中悬浮的样品上进行。在该项目中，RSoXS将与环境控制相结合，以创造这些有机系统运行的条件。开发的仪器将是同类仪器中的第一个，并提供了一个精致的视图，以了解在这种形成和操作过程中控制有机物质的形成和操作的分子相互作用和结构，因此，实现了对技术，能源和生命材料的理解和控制的飞跃。共振软X射线散射（RSoXS）技术利用了原子核电子轨道吸收精细结构的固有化学灵敏度，并通过对原子核电子轨道吸收精细结构的分析，对原子核电子轨道吸收精细结构进行了研究。因此，该技术对有机材料中的分子键及其取向是独特敏感的，其中不存在或存在低结晶度和/或密度对比度，并且此外，不需要费力的和潜在的破坏性标记。因此，它在研究驱动材料特性和生物功能的小分子，聚合物和蛋白质的相互作用和结构方面特别有用。然而，目前，样品在真空中进行研究，限制了对这些材料的研究。该项目资助伯克利国家实验室先进光源（ALS）光束线11.0.1.2上RSoXS样品环境控制的开发、建设和安装。这种仪器将能够在完全环境控制（气体，液体，温度，电场和电荷）下测量纳米到中尺度的结构和有机分子的相互作用。该项目将联合收割机结合RSoXS对有机分子及其取向的上级灵敏度和选择性，以及在原位或操作环境中测量其结构和相互作用的能力。这种在原生环境中探测有机物的能力对于获得与有机物形成、存在和发挥作用的应用相关的信息至关重要。

Nanoscale interactions and structures within organic materials are of critical importance for our understanding of their macroscopic properties and functions. These organic materials range from engineered (e.g. Kevlar, polymer batteries) to biological (e.g. cellular proteins), but what is common among them is that final solid properties are seeded during liquid processing or that many of their properties and functions only occur in specific operational environments. Resonant soft X-ray scattering (RSoXS) is uniquely capable of probing the nanostructure of these materials using intrinsic chemical bonds within the molecules, but currently RSoXS can only be performed on samples suspended in a vacuum. In this project, RSoXS will be combined with environmental control suitable to create the conditions in which these organic systems operate. The developed instrument will be first of its kind and provide an exquisite view into the molecular interactions and structures that govern formation and operation of organic matter during such formation and operation, and therefore, enable leaps in understanding and control of materials for technology, energy, and life. The availability of such facility will continue to place the USA at the international forefront of X-ray science for many years to come.Resonant soft X-ray scattering (RSoXS) utilizes intrinsic chemical sensitivity of absorption fine structure of molecular transitions from core electronic orbitals. The technique, therefore, is uniquely sensitive to molecular bonds and their orientation in organic materials where no or low crystallinity and/or density contrast exists and, furthermore, does not require laborious and potentially disruptive labeling. Thus it is particularly useful in investigating interactions and structures of small molecules, polymers and proteins that drive materials properties and biological functions. Currently, however, samples are investigated in vacuum, limiting the study of these materials. This project funds the development, construction and installation of sample environmental control for RSoXS at beamline 11.0.1.2 of the Advanced Light Source (ALS) at Berkeley National Laboratory. Such an instrument will enable measurements of nano-to-mesoscale structure and interaction of organic molecules under full environmental control (gasses, liquids, temperatures, electric fields, and charges). The project will combine the superior sensitivity and selectivity of RSoXS to organic molecules and their orientations with the ability to measure their structure and interactions in their in-situ or in-operando environments. Such an ability to probe organic matter in their native environment is critical to obtaining information that is relevant to the very applications in which they form, exist and function.