X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is a widely applied analytical technique that allows the
investigation of an element’s oxidation state and local chemical structure in a surrounding sample
matrix. X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES), on the other hand, provides information on the
electronic structure and the nature of bound ligands, very complementary to XAS.
Due to the need for a means to select a narrow energy bandwidth of X-ray photons by a
monochromator, the application of these techniques is currently reserved solely for synchrotron
radiation facilities: large scale facilities that provide highly brilliant and focussed X-ray beams.
However, due to the large demand for measurement time at these facilities and their limited
accessibility, experiments are usually granted on a highly competitive peer-reviewed proposal
process and usually limited to a few days of available ‘beam time’ per year.
Due to recent advances in the manufacturing of monochromator crystals and laboratory based X-ray
sources, it has now become an attractive alternative to perform XAS/XES experiments in a
laboratory environment. This proposal aims at the development of such a laboratory based XAS/XES
spectrometer, decreasing the demand on synchrotron facilities providing a more accessible
alternative, as well as allowing for preliminary investigation of materials as a means of preparation
for scheduled synchrotron experiments, resulting in more focussed and rewarding synchrotron
radiation experiments.