CoSAXS overview

The CoSAXS beamline is a multipurpose instrument with capabilities to perform Time Resolved X-ray Solution Scattering (TR-XSS) with time resolution down to 2 ms. Kinetics and dynamical process can also be studied for reactions in the scale of seconds or minutes. Multiple triggering schemes are available including laser triggering (pump-probe experiments), microfluidics (laminar mixing) and stopped-flow (turbulent mixing). 

The beamline setup can cover USAXS, SAXS and WAXS regimes with scattering vector  0.0006 ≤ q ≤ 3 Å^-1 and using multiple detector configurations. TR-XSS data can complement structural models at atomic resolution determined at MicroMAX and/or the Cryo-TEM facility at MAX IV.

A recent review of the beamline capabilities is available here.

Specifications for CoSAXS

Key methods:
Time-resolved X-ray solution scattering (TR-XSS) in the SAXS and WAXS regions.

Dynamics triggering:
Mixing by stopped-flow and microfluidic devices, laser-based pump-probe including with photocaged compounds.

Applications: 
Large scale conformational changes, protein unfolding, di- and oligomerisation, ligand-binding, temperature-jumps.

Sample delivery: 
In air flow-through cell with peristaltic pump circulation, microfluidic mixing chips, stopped flow 

Data processing:
Azint software for fast data processing (“on the fly” processing). Python-based customized routines (Jupyther notebooks).

Other:
Fast Access modality (1 or 2 shifts beamtime) for pre-characterization and initial SAXS and/or solution scattering information.

Examples:
Radiation damage in TR-XSS
ATPase dynamics
Aggregation in therapeutic monoclonal antibodies

MicroMAX overview

The MicroMAX beamline is specialised in serial crystallography and time-resolved crystallography methods, yielding molecular structures of biomolecules with angstrom resolution. MicroMAX can examine reactions from 10s of microseconds (photo-activated) to milliseconds (diffusion-limited mixing) or greater. MicroMAX is complemented by BioMAX to collect structures from crystals, and benefits from information on assemblies collected at CoSAXS or chemical identities collected at Balder. 

Specifications for MicroMAX

Key methods:
Time-resolved crystallography, Serial crystallography, Macromolecular crystallography, Ptychography

Applications: 
Enzyme catalysis, photoactivated reactions (“pump-probe”), ligand binding and reactions (“mix-chase”), transient, inhibitory, or trapped states of proteins, temperature and humidity changes (“4D SSX”). 

Sample delivery:
 A variety of single crystal and multi-crystal (serial) flow-based and fixed-target sample delivery systems are currently offered allowing one the select the delivery method most appropriate for the research goal. Many methods are also compatible with light-sensitive and/or anaerobic conditions. 

Dynamics triggering: 
Light-triggered reactions can be investigated down to the 10s of microseconds. This is enabled by rapid light triggering using a nanosecond laser system, high X-ray flux with x-ray chopper, and fast detection integrating detector. Chemical triggering can be observed in the low millisecond (diffusion limited) time scale.

Data processing: 
Real-time spotfinding, and automated indexing and integration pipelines provide rapid feedback, allowing users to observe electron density maps often within a few hours. Serial experiments require that unit cell parameters are known. This pre-characterization can be performed at MicroMAX or BioMAX. 

Examples: 
Acoustofluidic focussing in SSX 

FemtoMAX overview

FemtoMAX facilitates time-resolved X-ray diffraction and scattering experiments, techniques that captures ultrafast changes in materials at different time points. Such studies are of fundamental importance for key scientific problems directly related to programming materials using light, enabling new storage media and new manufacturing techniques, obtaining sustainable energy by mimicking photo-synthesis and gleaning insight into chemical and biological functional dynamics. 

Specifications for FemtoMAX

Key methods:
Femtosecond time-resolved X-ray scattering from crystals .

Applications: 
Phase transitions, photoactivated reactions (laser pump – X-ray probe), THz pump – X-ray probe, material control with light.  

Sample delivery: 
Fixed target. Flow-based systems is an option. Cryo cooling. 

Dynamics triggering: 
Laser light 400 nm – 1600 nm, THz pump triggering. Time resolution 50 fs, time  delays: 50 fs up to 100 µs. 

Data processing: 
Automated indexing and integration pipelines in development that will provide feedback to users. 

Detector: 
Pilatus 1.2 M (253 x 142 mm), 20 bit depth 

Balder overview

If you want to get element specific chemical information, oxidation state, coordination geometry and nearest neighbours you can use X-ray spectroscopy. The  Balder beamline is dedicated to hard X-ray spectroscopy (XAS and XES) exceling in scanning the energy axis between 4 and 40 keV, with 1 keV/sec. This can be combined with almost simultaneous XRD to follow in situ and in operando processes in real time (h-min-sec-subsec). Certain sample deliveries offer access to msec kinetics (microfluidics, liquid jet, electrochemistry/chopper,in situ processing of thin films (InFORM)).

Specifications for Balder

Key methods:
X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XANES, EXAFS), X-ray Emission Spectroscopy (RIXS, HERFD-XAS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF).

Applications: 
Metalloenzymes, coordination chemistry, batteries, catalysis, chemical synthesis, materials, environmental science and more. 

Sample delivery: 
Room temperature flow cell for liquids (microfluidics, liquid jet (bigger volume)) or gases (capillary cell). Room temperature standard holder for solid samples. Cryostat (frozen intermediates). Flexible environment for user cells (electrochemistry).

Dynamics triggering: 
Mixing, heating and electrochemistry 

Data processing: 
Data processing and analysis pipeline depending on the methods used.