BL 09.1 - SISSI - Bio

Elettra

SISSI-Bio is the Chemical and Life Sciences branch of the infrared beamline SISSI (Synchrotron Infrared Source for Spectroscopy and Imaging) at Elettra, devoted to the investigation of chemical composition of bulk materials, surfaces and interfaces exploiting the vibrational pattern of molecular matter constituents. The laboratory is up-to-date with the latest equipment for Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) analysis and currently hosts three endstations: one for spectromicroscopy (SISSI-Bio spectromicroscopy endstation), one for nanospectroscopy (SISSI-Bio nanoscopy endstation), one for spectroscopy (SISSI-BOFF). The spectromicroscopy and nanoscopy endstations can alternatively be operated with both Infrared Synchrotron Radiation (IRSR) and IR benchtop sources, while SISSI-BOFF may be operated only with conventional sources, increasing the usage time of the setups beyond the infrared synchrotron radiation availability.

The majority of the SISSI-Bio users belongs to the life science community. In the most recent years, the experimental trend showed an increasing interest in ecology and environmental sciences, as well as in chemistry of innovative materials and biophysics. Moreover, in the very last calls for experiments, a substantially higher number of proposals in the cultural heritage and paleo-archaeological fields have been submitted by users, further widening the scientific topic’s portfolio.

A thorough description of the beamline layout can be found in the following article:
Performance of SISSI, the infrared beamline of the ELETTRA Storage-Ring
S. Lupi, A, Nucara, A. Perucchi, P. Calvani, M. Ortolani, L. Quaroni, M. Kiskinova
J. Opt. Soc. America B 24, 959 (2007)
doi:10.1364/JOSAB.24.000.959

A detailed description of the endstations and selected examples of fields of applications can be found in the following article: Chemical analyses at micro and nano scale at SISSI-Bio beamline at Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste

G. Birarda, D. E. Bedolla, F. Piccirilli, C. Stani, H. Vondracek, L. Vaccari

Proc. SPIE 11957, Biomedical Vibrational Spectroscopy 2022: Advances in Research and Industry, 1195707

doi: 10.1117/12.2607751

Publications Website

Beamline Energy Resolution

5.0E-5 [eV]

Beamline Energy Range

0.001 - 2.5 [eV]

Photon Sources

BM 9.1

Type

Bending Magnet

Additional Lightsources

DFG laser

Type

Broad-band Difference Frequency Generator (DFG) IR laser operational in the 5-15 microns spectral range (Toptica)

Beam shape

Gaussian

QCL laser

Type

Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) source operational in the 4-12 microns range (DRS Daylight Solutions)

Beam shape

Gaussian

Endstations or Setup

SISSI-Bio nanoscopy endstation

Description

Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) nanoscopy at SISSI-Bio can be exploited for the morpho-chemical analysis of a solid sample with a lateral resolution of few tens of nanometers and monolayer surface sensitivity. The instrument presently installed at SISSI-Bio is the infrared scattering-type scanning near field optical microscope (IR s-SNOM) of NeaSpec GmbH, neaSNOM, coupled with both a broad-band Difference Frequency Generator (DFG) laser and IRSR. The lateral resolution achievable is independent from the wavelength of light, and basically limited by the nanometric curvature radius of the metallic AFM tip that scan the sample. A nanoimaging module has been installed in Q1 2021: it relies on infrared photon-thermal-expansion, excited with a Quantum Cascade (QCL) laser source (range 4-12 microns). The combination of the two modules allows covering research topics on a large variety of materials, from soft-biological matter to solid-state science.

Microscopes

IR-neaSCOPE +s (https://www.neaspec.com/products/ir-neascope-s/)

Detectors Available

MCT

Sample

Sample Type

Other: Dried solid samples

SISSI-Bio spectromicroscopy endstation

Description

Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy at SISSI-Bio can be exploited both as bulk and surface analysis technique, depending on the acquisition geometry. Diverse sample holders are available, that include, but not limited to, T-controlled liquid cells, diamond anvil cells (DAC) and several attenuated total reflection (ATR) accessories for sample surface analysis, with sensitivity up to few mono-layers. A dedicated spectrometer technology is available for correlative FIR-MIR studies. Recently, the new 4.2K bolometer allows to extend the investigation domain to FarIR, up to 5 cm-1.
FTIR spectroscopy experiments routinely use conventional IR glow-bar sources.

Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) microscopy at SISSI-Bio can be exploited for correlating the morphological features of a sample with its local chemistry in the MIR. FTIR microscopy with single point detector for mapping and with bi-dimensional detector for imaging can be chosen for the analysis of solid and liquid samples with a lateral resolution diffraction limited to few microns. Standard sampling geometries and dedicated in-house build solution for cellular analysis in physiological environment are available, as well as dedicated tools for T-dependent studies (-195°C-600°C) and IR-tomography.
Single point FTIR microscopy experiments takes advantage from the superior brightness of IRSR.

Microscopes

Hyperion 3000 - Bruker Optics

Spectrometer

Vertex 70v Interferometer - Bruker Optics

Base Pressure

1 * 10^-3 [mbar]

Detectors Available

MCT
FPA
Bolometer

Endstation Operative

Yes

Sample

Sample Type

Liquid

Other Sample Type

Solid samples and powders

Required Sample Size

X = 10 [um], Y = 10 [um], Z = 10 [um]

Required Sample Volume

30 [uL]

Sample Environment

Temperature

-196 - 600 [K]

Pressure (min)

1 * 10^-3 [mbar]

Pressure (Max)

1 * 10³ [mbar]

Temperature

-196 - 600 [K]

Sample Holders

SISSI-BOFF

Description

SISSI-BOFF is the off-line endstation of SISSI-Bio for FTIR spectroscopy in the MIR with conventional Globar source.

Spectrometer

Vertex 70 Interferometer - Bruker Optics

Base Pressure

10 * 10³ [mbar]

Sample

Sample Type

Powder, Gel, Liquid, Other: Bulk materials

Detectors

Bolometer

Description

General Purpose 4.2K bolometer system with 3 position filter 25-2000 microns

Detection

Detected Particle

Electron

DTGS

Type

Pyroelectric Deuterated Triglycine sulfate (DTGS) detectors, room temperature

Description

Interferometer DTGS detectors

Passive or Active (Electronics)

Active

Detection

Detected Particle

Electron

FPA

Type

Focal Plane array detector 64X64 pixels, LN2 cooled.

Passive or Active (Electronics)

Active

Detection

Detected Particle

Electron

MCT

Type

Photoconductive Mercury Cadmium Telluride (HgCdTe) LN2 cooled detectors

Description

Microscope MCT detectors: 100 micron and 250 microns sensitive element
Interferometer MCT detector: 250 microns sensitive element

Passive or Active (Electronics)

Active

Detection

Detected Particle

Electron

Support Laboratories

NanoInnovation Laboratory

Description

The NanoInnovation Laboratory at Elettra provide support to SISSI-Bio users for biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology experiments.

For more details on laboratory and instrumentation, please refer to: https://www.elettra.trieste.it/it/lightsources/labs-and-services/nanostructure/nanostructure-lab-home.html

Access to the NanoInnovation Laboratory for SISSI-Bio users shall be planned at the time of proposal submission. Please, contact SISSI-Bio staff for more details before proposal submission.

Structural Biology Laboratory

Description

The Structural Biology Laboratory at Elettra provide support to SISSI-Bio users for biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology experiments.

For more details on laboratory and instrumentation, please refer to: https://www.elettra.trieste.it/labs/structural-biology

Access to the Structural Biology Laboratory for SISSI-Bio users shall be planned at the time of proposal submission. Please, contact SISSI-Bio staff for more details before proposal submission.

contacts

Giovanni Birarda

Lisa Vaccari

Federica PIccirilli

Techniques

Absorption

IR spectroscopy

Imaging

IR Microscopy

Disciplines

Chemistry

Biochemistry
Electrochemistry
Green Chemistry
Other - Chemistry
Physical Chemistry

Earth Sciences & Environment

Ecosystems & Biodiversity
Other - Earth Sciences & Environment

Humanities

Cultural Heritage

Life Sciences & Biotech

Agriculture & Fisheries
Biophysics
Food quality and safety
Medicine
Molecular and cellular biology
Technique Development - Life Sciences & Biotech

Physics

Other - Physics

control/Data analysis

Control Software Type

OPUS 8.5 software - Bruker proprietary software

Data Output Type

Single spectra and hyperspectral images containing spectral data and information on acquisition parameters, like: spectral range, spectral resolution, number of scans, detector type, sample internal coordinates,...

Data Output Format

OPUS 8.5 format that can be converted in dpt, ENVI, MATLAB, Igor format

Softwares For Data Analysis

OPUS 8.5 (Proprietary software), Hyperspec (free software: http://hyperspec.r-forge.r-project.org/), QUASAR-MidIR (opensource software: https://midir.lightsource.ca/quasar/)