Applications of X-ray fluorescence microscopy with synchrotron radiation: From biology to materials science

X-ray fluorescence emission spectroscopy is a powerful tool to gain chemical information on a wide variety of samples. Its combination with focused X-ray beams and translation stages enables X-ray fluorescence microscopy, generating quantitative distribution maps for sets of chemical elements, depending on incident photon energy and detector specifications. The use of synchrotron radiation for X-ray fluorescence microscopy has led to unprecedented performance: with the advent of 4th generation synchrotron facilities such as MAX IV, the increase of the achievable incident photon flux has made higher sensitivity and measuring speed possible, while new nanofocus capabilities have enabled nanoscale spatial resolution. Here, an overview of recent and ongoing research is presented from selected two-dimensional X-ray fluorescence microscopy experiments carried out at NanoMAX, the hard X-ray nanoprobe beamline at MAX IV. Results showcase the technique's versatility, as it is applied to microalgae, human dental tissue and engineered materials. • Synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence as analytical method with nanoscale resolution. • Submicron X-ray fluorescence microscopy reveals microalgae anatomy and physiology. • Dietary habits and environmental factors inferred from archaeological dental tissue. • step towards circular economy by reduction of toxicity in alkali activated binders. • Nanoscale X-ray fluorescence helps improve synthesis of MXene-containing coatings.