Superstability of micrometer jets surrounded by a polymeric shell

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the creation of ultra-stable micrometer-scale liquid jets with polymeric shells using a 3D-printed injector, enabling thinner, longer jets with potential applications in advanced crystallography.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to produce superstable liquid microjets with polymeric shells, significantly reducing flow rates needed for stability.

Findings

Polymeric shells stabilize microjets, allowing lower flow rates.

Jets are thinner and longer due to polymeric stabilization.

Potential use in Serial Femtosecond X-ray Crystallography.

Abstract

We have produced superstable compound liquid microjets with a three-dimensional printed coaxial flow-focusing injector. The aqueous jet core is surrounded by a shell, a few hundred nanometers in thickness, of a low-concentration aqueous solution of a low-molecular-weight polymer. Due to the stabilizing effect of the polymeric shell, the minimum liquid flow rate leading to stable flow-focusing is decreased by one order of magnitude, resulting in much thinner and longer jets. Possible applications of this technique for Serial Femtosecond X-ray Crystallography are discussed.