X‐ray reflectivity measurements of liquid/solid interfaces under high hydrostatic pressure conditions

A high‐pressure cell for in situ X‐ray reflectivity measurements of liquid/solid interfaces at hydrostatic pressures up to 500 MPa (5 kbar), a pressure regime that is particularly important for the study of protein unfolding, is presented. The original set‐up of this hydrostatic high‐pressure cell is discussed and its unique properties are demonstrated by the investigation of pressure‐induced adsorption of the protein lysozyme onto hydrophobic silicon wafers. The presented results emphasize the enormous potential of X‐ray reflectivity studies under high hydrostatic pressure conditions for the in situ investigation of adsorption phenomena in biological systems.