Ion Imaging of Native Protein Complexes Using Orthogonal Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry and a Timepix Detector.

Native mass spectrometry (native MS) has emerged as a powerful technique to study the structure and stoichiometry of large protein complexes. Traditionally, native MS has been performed on modified time-of-flight (TOF) systems combined with detectors that do not provide information on the arrival coordinates of each ion at the detector. In this study, we describe the implementation of a Timepix (TPX) pixelated detector on a modified orthogonal TOF (O-TOF) mass spectrometer for the analysis and imaging of native protein complexes.

Coincidence velocity map imaging using Tpx3Cam, a time stamping optical camera with 1.5 ns timing resolution.

We demonstrate a coincidence velocity map imaging apparatus equipped with a novel time-stamping fast optical camera, Tpx3Cam, whose high sensitivity and nanosecond timing resolution allow for simultaneous position and time-of-flight detection. This single detector design is simple, flexible, and capable of highly differential measurements. We show detailed characterization of the camera and its application in strong field ionization experiments.

Ageing in a system of polydisperse goethite boardlike particles showing rich phase behaviour.

Using microradian x-ray scattering and polarized light microscopy the rich liquid crystalline phase behaviour of a polydisperse system of chromium-modified goethite particles has been studied for five years. We observe that the particles stay highly mobile over years and the rich phase behaviour keeps developing in novel and even surprising ways. While in many other colloidal systems particle size polydispersity suppresses the formation of ordered phases, goethite particles form multiple coexisting ordered phases.

Semiconductor nanorod self-assembly at the liquid/air interface studied by in situ GISAXS and ex situ TEM.

We study the self-assembly of colloidal CdSe/CdS nanorods (NRs) at the liquid/air interface combining time-resolved in situ grazing-incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) and ex situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Our study shows that NR superstructure formation occurs at the liquid/air interface. Short NRs self-assemble into micrometers long tracks of NRs lying side by side flat on the surface.