Enabling liquid solvent structure analysis using hard x-ray absorption spectroscopy with a transferrable microfluidic reactor. (11th April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zheng, Jian; Zhang, Wei; Wang, Feng; Yu, Xiao-Ying
• Is Part Of: Journal of physics. Volume 30:Number 18(2018)
• Publication Date: 2018-04-11
• Subjects: x-ray absorption spectroscopy -- SALVI -- aqueous solution -- solvation structure; Condensed matter -- Periodicals; Matière condensée -- Périodiques; Vaste stoffen; Vloeistoffen; Natuurkunde; Electronic journals; Computer network resources; 530.4105
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-648X/aab87f
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0953-8984

Abstract

Abstract: In this paper, a vacuum compatible microfluidic device, system for analysis at the liquid vacuum interface, is integrated to hard x-ray absorption spectroscopy to obtain the local structure of K3 [Fe(CN)6 ] in aqueous solutions with three concentrations of 0.5 M, 0.05 M, and 0.005 M. The solutions were sealed in a microchannel 500 µ m wide and 300 µ m deep in a portable microfluidic device. The Fe K -edge x-ray absorption spectra indicate a presence of Fe(III) in the complex in water, with an octahedral geometry coordinated with 6 C atoms in the first shell with a distance of ~1.92 Å and 6 N atoms in the second shell with a distance of ~3.10 Å. Varying the concentration has no observable influence on the structure of K3 [Fe(CN)6 ]. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using microfluidic based liquid cells in large synchrotron facilities. Using portable microfludic reactors provides a viable approach to enable multifaceted measurements of liquids in the future.