Fast intracrystalline hydration of beta-chitin revealed by combined microdrop generation and on-line synchrotron radiation microdiffraction.
Water microdrops of about 50 microm in diameter, generated by an ink-jet system, have been used to hydrate fragments of Pogonophora tubes. In situ X-ray microdiffraction with a beam size of 10 microm was used to follow the structural transformations that affected the crystalline beta-chitin part of the specimens. Starting from anhydrous chitin, the formation of a full beta-chitin dihydrate was observed within about 90 s. A disordered intermediate phase with variable d-spacing that could be due to a mixture of anhydrous and hydrated beta-chitin layers was also detected.
Rössle
Manfred
M
European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, B.P. 220, F-38043 Grenoble Cedex France.
Flot
David
D
Engel
Jens
J
Burghammer
Manfred
M
Riekel
Christian
C
Chanzy
Henri
H
D002686:Chitin / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization; D007700:Kinetics; D017356:Synchrotrons; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*
D014867:Water; D002686:Chitin