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Title: Ceramic micro-injection molded nozzles for serial femtosecond crystallography sample delivery

Abstract

Serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) using X-ray Free-Electron Lasers (XFELs) allows for room temperature protein structure determination without evidence of conventional radiation damage. In this method, a liquid suspension of protein microcrystals can be delivered to the X-ray beam in vacuum as a micro-jet, which replenishes the crystals at a rate that exceeds the current XFEL pulse repetition rate. Gas dynamic virtual nozzles produce the required micrometer-sized streams by the focusing action of a coaxial sheath gas and have been shown to be effective for SFX experiments. Here, we describe the design and characterization of such nozzles assembled from ceramic micro-injection molded outer gas-focusing capillaries. Trends of the emitted jet diameter and jet length as a function of supplied liquid and gas flow rates are measured by a fast imaging system. The observed trends are explained by derived relationships considering choked gas flow and liquid flow conservation. Finally, the performance of these nozzles in a SFX experiment is presented, including an analysis of the observed background.

Authors:
; ;  [1]; ;  [2];  [3];  [1]
  1. Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg (Germany)
  2. Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22607 Hamburg (Germany)
  3. Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht (Germany)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22482669
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Review of Scientific Instruments
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 86; Journal Issue: 12; Other Information: (c) 2015 Author(s); Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0034-6748
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; CERAMICS; CRYSTALLOGRAPHY; FREE ELECTRON LASERS; GAS FLOW; LIQUIDS; NOZZLES; RADIATION EFFECTS; X RADIATION

Citation Formats

Beyerlein, K. R., Heymann, M., Kirian, R., Adriano, L., Bajt, S., E-mail: sasa.bajt@desy.de, Knoška, J., Wilde, F., Chapman, H. N., Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22607 Hamburg, and Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg. Ceramic micro-injection molded nozzles for serial femtosecond crystallography sample delivery. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4936843.
Beyerlein, K. R., Heymann, M., Kirian, R., Adriano, L., Bajt, S., E-mail: sasa.bajt@desy.de, Knoška, J., Wilde, F., Chapman, H. N., Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22607 Hamburg, & Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg. Ceramic micro-injection molded nozzles for serial femtosecond crystallography sample delivery. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4936843
Beyerlein, K. R., Heymann, M., Kirian, R., Adriano, L., Bajt, S., E-mail: sasa.bajt@desy.de, Knoška, J., Wilde, F., Chapman, H. N., Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22607 Hamburg, and Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg. 2015. "Ceramic micro-injection molded nozzles for serial femtosecond crystallography sample delivery". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4936843.
@article{osti_22482669,
title = {Ceramic micro-injection molded nozzles for serial femtosecond crystallography sample delivery},
author = {Beyerlein, K. R. and Heymann, M. and Kirian, R. and Adriano, L. and Bajt, S., E-mail: sasa.bajt@desy.de and Knoška, J. and Wilde, F. and Chapman, H. N. and Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22607 Hamburg and Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg},
abstractNote = {Serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) using X-ray Free-Electron Lasers (XFELs) allows for room temperature protein structure determination without evidence of conventional radiation damage. In this method, a liquid suspension of protein microcrystals can be delivered to the X-ray beam in vacuum as a micro-jet, which replenishes the crystals at a rate that exceeds the current XFEL pulse repetition rate. Gas dynamic virtual nozzles produce the required micrometer-sized streams by the focusing action of a coaxial sheath gas and have been shown to be effective for SFX experiments. Here, we describe the design and characterization of such nozzles assembled from ceramic micro-injection molded outer gas-focusing capillaries. Trends of the emitted jet diameter and jet length as a function of supplied liquid and gas flow rates are measured by a fast imaging system. The observed trends are explained by derived relationships considering choked gas flow and liquid flow conservation. Finally, the performance of these nozzles in a SFX experiment is presented, including an analysis of the observed background.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4936843},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22482669}, journal = {Review of Scientific Instruments},
issn = {0034-6748},
number = 12,
volume = 86,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Tue Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Simulation of liquid micro-jet in free expanding high-speed co-flowing gas streams
journal, August 2018


Ultracompact 3D microfluidics for time-resolved structural biology
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Mixing injector enables time-resolved crystallography with high hit rate at X-ray free electron lasers
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3D printed nozzles on a silicon fluidic chip
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Controlled beams of shock-frozen, isolated, biological and artificial nanoparticles
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3D printed droplet generation devices for serial femtosecond crystallography enabled by surface coating
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Sample delivery for serial crystallography at free-electron lasers and synchrotrons
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A guide to sample delivery systems for serial crystallography
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Three-dimensional-printed gas dynamic virtual nozzles for x-ray laser sample delivery
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Jet delivery system for Raman scattering on bio-inorganic compounds
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Rapid Sample Delivery for Megahertz Serial Crystallography at X-ray FELs
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Double-flow focused liquid injector for efficient serial femtosecond crystallography
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Jet delivery system for Raman scattering on bio-inorganic compounds
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Rapid sample delivery for megahertz serial crystallography at X-ray FELs
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3D printed nozzles on a silicon fluidic chip
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Ultracompact 3D microfluidics for time-resolved structural biology
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Ultracompact 3D microfluidics for time-resolved structural biology
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Mixing injector enables time-resolved crystallography with high hit rate at X-ray free electron lasers
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