New agitated and thermostatized cell for in situ monitoring of fast reactions by synchrotron SAXS.

A thermostatized and agitated sample cell for synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements of liquid samples (homogeneous or heterogeneous) has been developed. The cell is composed of a compact main body with inlet and outlet windows for the beams of light. The volume of the cell is approximately 0.8 ml and the distance between the windows is 5 mm to allow accurate SAXS measurements. The cell is thermostatized by means of a jacket that surrounds the sample holder and it is connected to a thermostatic bath. In addition, the cell has a top and a bottom lid that allow easy cleaning and maintenance without demounting the optical windows. The cell has been used to run SAXS measurements of liquid samples and, for the first time, a mini-emulsion polymerization reaction has been monitored by SAXS.