| AVS 63rd International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| In-Situ and Operando Spectroscopy and Microscopy for Catalysts, Surfaces, & Materials Focus Topic | Friday Sessions |
| Session IS-FrM |
| Session: | In situ Characterization of Nanomaterials |
| Presenter: | Adrien Chauvet, University of Sheffield, UK |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
The use of ultrafast laser technologies became essential in the characterization of molecular complexes, as these techniques have opened new doors for the study of fundamental photo-chemical and photo-physical behaviour. However the application of laser-based spectroscopy for the study of biological samples came along with technical challenges: On one hand, purified biological samples are sensitive to their environment (e.g. oxygen) and are only available in small (sub-millilitres) quantities. On the other hand, the use of ultrafast laser systems primarily demands that the sample is refreshed at each laser shot, at a few kHz repetition rate. Consequently, there exists a pressing need to apply microfluidics systems in the field of ultrafast spectroscopy.
After a brief introduction on laser spectroscopy, I will describe some of the most common solutions that are currently in use in order respond to the constraints of both, the sample and the analytical system. I will then present our newly developed microfluidic flow cell: the cell, while it is convenient to set-up and to use, is suitable to most laser systems up to ~10 kHz repetition rate, and requires a minimal sample amount of ~ 250 microL. The benefits of such a microfluidic system will be illustrated through the analysis of multi-hemes cytochromes.