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Zupan B, Peña-Murillo GE, Zahoor R, Gregorc J, Šarler B, Knoška J, Gañán-Calvo AM, Chapman HN, Bajt S. An experimental study of liquid micro-jets produced with a gas dynamic virtual nozzle under the influence of an electric field. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1006733. [PMID: 36743214 PMCID: PMC9892056 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1006733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The results of an experimental study of micro-jets produced with a gas dynamic virtual nozzle (GDVN) under the influence of an electric field are provided and discussed for the first time. The experimental study is performed with a 50% volume mixture of water and ethanol, and nitrogen focusing gas. The liquid sample and gas Reynolds numbers range from 0.09-5.4 and 0-190, respectively. The external electrode was positioned 400-500 μm downstream of the nozzle tip and an effect of electric potential between the electrode and the sample liquid from 0-7 kV was investigated. The jetting parametric space is examined as a function of operating gas and liquid flow rates, outlet chamber pressure, and an external electric field. The experimentally observed jet diameter, length and velocity ranged from 1-25 μm, 50-500 μm and 0.5-10 m/s, respectively. The jetting shape snapshots were processed automatically using purposely developed computer vision software. The velocity of the jet was calculated from the measured jet diameter and the sample flow rate. It is found that micro-jets accelerate in the direction of the applied electric field in the downstream direction at a constant acceleration as opposed to the standard GDVNs. New jetting modes were observed, where either the focusing gas or the electric forces dominate, encouraging further theoretical and numerical studies towards optimized system design. The study shows the potential to unlock a new generation of low background sample delivery for serial diffraction measurements of weakly scattering objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bor Zupan
- Laboratory for Fluid Dynamics and Thermodynamics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Rizwan Zahoor
- Laboratory for Fluid Dynamics and Thermodynamics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jurij Gregorc
- Laboratory for Fluid Dynamics and Thermodynamics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Božidar Šarler
- Laboratory for Fluid Dynamics and Thermodynamics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia,Laboratory for Simulation of Materials and Processes, Institute of Metals and Technology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Juraj Knoška
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science CFEL, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Alfonso M. Gañán-Calvo
- Departamento de Ingeniería Aeroespacial y Mecánica de Fluidos, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain,Laboratory of Engineering for Energy and Environmental Sustainability, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Henry N. Chapman
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science CFEL, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg, Germany,The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Hamburg, Germany,Department of Physics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Saša Bajt
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science CFEL, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg, Germany,The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Hamburg, Germany,*Correspondence: Saša Bajt,
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Vakili M, Bielecki J, Knoška J, Otte F, Han H, Kloos M, Schubert R, Delmas E, Mills G, de Wijn R, Letrun R, Dold S, Bean R, Round A, Kim Y, Lima FA, Dörner K, Valerio J, Heymann M, Mancuso AP, Schulz J. 3D printed devices and infrastructure for liquid sample delivery at the European XFEL. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2022; 29:331-346. [PMID: 35254295 PMCID: PMC8900844 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577521013370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The Sample Environment and Characterization (SEC) group of the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser (EuXFEL) develops sample delivery systems for the various scientific instruments, including systems for the injection of liquid samples that enable serial femtosecond X-ray crystallography (SFX) and single-particle imaging (SPI) experiments, among others. For rapid prototyping of various device types and materials, sub-micrometre precision 3D printers are used to address the specific experimental conditions of SFX and SPI by providing a large number of devices with reliable performance. This work presents the current pool of 3D printed liquid sample delivery devices, based on the two-photon polymerization (2PP) technique. These devices encompass gas dynamic virtual nozzles (GDVNs), mixing-GDVNs, high-viscosity extruders (HVEs) and electrospray conical capillary tips (CCTs) with highly reproducible geometric features that are suitable for time-resolved SFX and SPI experiments at XFEL facilities. Liquid sample injection setups and infrastructure on the Single Particles, Clusters, and Biomolecules and Serial Femtosecond Crystallography (SPB/SFX) instrument are described, this being the instrument which is designated for biological structure determination at the EuXFEL.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Juraj Knoška
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL), Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Florian Otte
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
- Department of Physics, TU Dortmund, Otto-Hahn-Straße 4, 44221 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Huijong Han
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
| | - Marco Kloos
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
| | | | - Elisa Delmas
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
| | - Grant Mills
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
| | | | - Romain Letrun
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
| | - Simon Dold
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
| | - Richard Bean
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
| | - Adam Round
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
- School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Yoonhee Kim
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
| | | | | | - Joana Valerio
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
| | - Michael Heymann
- Institute for Biomaterials and Biomolecular Systems (IBBS), University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Adrian P. Mancuso
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS), La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
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Nam KH. Beef tallow injection matrix for serial crystallography. Sci Rep 2022; 12:694. [PMID: 35027663 PMCID: PMC8758675 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04714-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Serial crystallography (SX) enables the visualization of the time-resolved molecular dynamics of macromolecular structures at room temperature while minimizing radiation damage. In SX experiments, the delivery of a large number of crystals into an X-ray interaction point in a serial and stable manner is key. Sample delivery using viscous medium maintains the stable injection stream at low flow rates, markedly reducing sample consumption compared with that of a liquid jet injector and is widely applied in SX experiments with low repetition rates. As the sample properties and experimental environment can affect the stability of the injection stream of a viscous medium, it is important to develop sample delivery media with various characteristics to optimize the experimental environment. In this study, a beef tallow injection matrix possessing a higher melting temperature than previously reported fat-based shortening and lard media was introduced as a sample delivery medium and applied to SX. Beef tallow was prepared by heat treating fats from cattle, followed by the removal of soluble impurities from the extract by phase separation. Beef tallow exhibited a very stable injection stream at room temperature and a flow rate of < 10 nL/min. The room-temperature structures of lysozyme and glucose isomerase embedded in beef tallow were successfully determined at 1.55 and 1.60 Å, respectively. The background scattering of beef tallow was higher than that of previously reported fat-based shortening and lard media but negligible for data processing. In conclusion, the beef tallow matrix can be employed for sample delivery in SX experiments conducted at temperatures exceeding room temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki Hyun Nam
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, 37673, Korea. .,POSTECH Biotech Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, 37673, Korea.
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Numerical Study of the Micro-Jet Formation in Double Flow Focusing Nozzle Geometry Using Different Water-Alcohol Solutions. MATERIALS 2021; 14:ma14133614. [PMID: 34203386 PMCID: PMC8269721 DOI: 10.3390/ma14133614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this work is to determine, based on the computational model, whether a mixture of a binary liquid is capable of producing longer, thinner and faster gas-focused micro-jets, compared to the mono-constituent liquids of its components. Mixtures of water with two different alcohols, water + ethanol and water + 2-propanol, are considered. The numerical study of pre-mixed liquids is performed in the double flow focusing nozzle geometry used in sample delivery in serial femtosecond crystallography experiments. The study reveals that an optimal mixture for maximizing the jet length exists both in a water + ethanol and in a water + 2-propanol system. Additionally, the use of 2-propanol instead of ethanol results in a 34% jet length increase, while the jet diameters and velocities are similar for both mixtures. Pure ethanol and pure 2-propanol are the optimum liquids to achieve the smallest diameter and the fastest jets. However, the overall aim is to find a mixture with the longest, the smallest and the fastest jet. Based on our simulations, it appears that water + 2-propanol mixture might be slightly better than water + ethanol. This study reveals the dominant effect of liquid viscosity on the jet breakup process in a flow focusing nozzles operated under atmospheric conditions.
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Abstract
Serial crystallography (SX) is an emerging X-ray crystallographic method for determining macromolecule structures. It can address concerns regarding the limitations of data collected by conventional crystallography techniques, which require cryogenic-temperature environments and allow crystals to accumulate radiation damage. Time-resolved SX studies using the pump-probe methodology provide useful information for understanding macromolecular mechanisms and structure fluctuation dynamics. This Special Issue deals with the serial crystallography approach using an X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) and synchrotron X-ray source, and reviews recent SX research involving synchrotron use. These reports provide insights into future serial crystallography research trends and approaches.
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