Structure and stability of artificial oxygen carriers by USAXS

We want to determine the structure and stability of concentrated artificial oxygen carriers (AOC) in aqueous suspension, by combined ultra-small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) and SAXS measurements. Utilizing the versatility of ESRF’s ID02 beamline, structural information from the micron to the nanometre range in aqueous environment will be accessible from medical relevant AOC suspensions without any artefacts, which is impossible to elucidate with conventional methods. The measurements will yield access into both the ultrastructure and the stability of AOCs, thus allowing for structure-stability correlations. Our findings will promote the fine-tuning of our AOC-synthesis approach as well as help to identify ideal conditions for long-term storage providing ready to use AOCs as an alternative for red blood cell concentrates (RBC) used in e.g. medical emergency situations, medical interventions where high blood loss is anticipated, or ex situ organ perfusion.