Applicability of Focused-ion-beam-based Thin Sectioning for STXM-NEXAFS Analysis of Carbon Species: An Examination of Kaolinite-bacteria Composite

Thin sectioning of organo-mineral nanocomposites enables the elucidation of organic chemistry in their intact structures. Yet this preparation may cause material damage. Using artificial clay-bacteria composites, we showed that thin sectioning using focused ion beam (FIB) caused no significant alternation to carbon (C) chemistry in the composites analyzed by C K-edge spectra with scanning transmission X-ray microscopy with near -edge X-ray absorption fine structure (STXM-NEXAFS), sug-gesting positive applicability of this approach.