A microfluidic setup for studies of solid-liquid interfaces using x-ray reflectivity and fluorescence microscopy

In this paper we present a concept for a microfluidic chamber optimized for x-ray reflectivity studies at solid-liquid interfaces. Experiments of this kind are usually considerably limited by strong beam attenuation due to interactions with the aqueous environment. First experiments at synchrotron sources using supported model membranes showed that the microfluidic setup yields a very effective solution for minimizing background scattering and beam absorption, which are often accompanied by radiation damage of biological samples. Additionally, the setup is also well suited for the application of fluorescence microscopy. The application of these two different techniques on the same sample offers unique possibilities for complementary studies.