Monitoring degradation of hybrid nanostructures in situ using X-ray photon-correlation spectroscopy

We propose to perform X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) measurements on encapsulated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in a Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8) matrix to in situ monitor the degradation behaviour of such hybrid nanostructures. The degradation of ZIF-8@Au nanocomposites will be studied by investigating the alteration of the particle dynamics and thus the decrease of the hydrodynamic diameter while simultaneously monitoring changes of the ZIF-8 crystal structure by wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). This study will provide valuable insight into ZIF-8 degradation in hybrid nanostructures, contributing to the identification of transient and permanent by-products with potential toxicity or inflammatory effects.