Hard x-ray phase contrast imaging of black lipid membranes

Journal Article · Mon Nov 16 00:00:00 EST 2009 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3263946· OSTI ID:21294471

Beerlink, A; Mell, M; Tolkiehn, M; Salditt, T ^[1]

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1. Institut fuer Roentgenphysik, Universitaet Goettingen, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Goettingen (Germany)

We report hard x-ray phase contrast imaging of black lipid membranes, freely suspended over a micromachined aperture in an aqueous solution. Biomolecular and organic substances can thus be probed in hydrated environments by parallel beam propagation imaging, using coherent multi-kilo-electronvolt x-ray radiation. The width of the thinning film can be resolved from analysis of the intensity fringes in the Fresnel diffraction regime down to about 200 nm. The thinning process, in which solvent is expelled from the space in between two opposing monolayers, is monitored, and the domain walls between coexisting domains of swollen and thinned membrane patches are characterized.

• OSTI ID: 21294471
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 95, Issue 20; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3263946; (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
APERTURES
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
BIOPHYSICS
FILMS
HARD X RADIATION
LAYERS
MEMBRANES
SOLVENTS
X-RAY DIFFRACTION