June 14th 2024
A recent study used Raman spectroscopy to analyze the crystalline state of minerals.
Duncan Graham Named Recipient of Coblentz Society's 2012 Craver Award
February 22nd 2012The Coblentz Society and the Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies (FACSS) recently named Professor Duncan Graham of the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow, Scotland) as the recipient of the Coblentz Society?s 2012 Craver Award.
Raman Thermometry of Microdevices: Comparing Methods to Minimize Error
November 1st 2011Temperature measurements can be made using spectral features such as the position, linewidth, and intensity of the Raman signal associated with specific optical phonon modes. Each of these spectral characteristics offers particular advantages, depending on the type of device and operational considerations.
Analytical Vibrational Spectroscopy - NIR, IR, and Raman
October 1st 2011How can you navigate the maze of choices for detecting molecular vibrations with mid-infrared (IR), near IR (NIR), and visible (Raman)? Understanding what is being measured, how it is measured, and the advantages and disadvantages of each technique, will help.
The pH Dependence of the SERS Spectra of Methyl Yellow in Silver Colloid
June 1st 2011Surface plasmon resonance, charge-transfer resonance, and their combination determine the enhancement of surface-enhanced Raman scattering signals, and the varying intensities of the signal at different pH levels may result from the change in contributions of the combined system.
Applications of 1064 nm Dispersive Raman Systems in Biofuel Research
February 11th 2011BaySpec, Inc. has developed a complete line of 1064 nm excitation, dispersive Raman systems that offer maximum reduction in fluorescence interference from biological samples and thus making them very useful tools for biofuel research.
More Raman Analyses Less Fluorescence Interference
February 11th 2011In recent years, the spectroscopy community has observed rapid development of Raman instrumentation and its usefulness in a variety of applications. Routine Raman analysis with 785 nm excitation has served well for the great majority of industrial applications and has become the most favored instrument configuration.
Transmission Raman: A Method for Quantifying Bulk Materials
June 1st 2010The motivation for the development of an instrument for transmission Raman measurements is described. The basic instrumentation and the first results from a commercial system are provided. Transmission Raman spectroscopy (TRS) performance is compared to and contrasted with that of a confocal Raman microscope.
Understanding Raman Spectrometer Parameters
June 1st 2010Today's Raman spectrometers are more capable than ever before. The seeds of innovation in filter, laser, and CCD technology have produced a crop of instruments that are fast, sensitive, and robust. This is good news because scientists are constantly bombarded with challenging problems that require the top performance from their instruments.
High-Throughput Trace Analysis Using SERS-Coated Microtiter Plates with a Raman Plate Reader
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has been studied extensively over the last few decades with many advances in preparation of SERS substrates and coatings. While the bulk of the research in SERS substrate preparation has been devoted to pushing detection limits to higher sensitivity for measurement of single samples, the application of SERS to high-throughput analysis has been largely ignored. In this article, we present the use of commercially available SERS-coated microtiter plates in a dedicated Raman microtiter plate reader, enabling high-throughput trace analysis measurements. This article also describes the SERS substrate, the high-throughput plate reader, and preliminary results from samples representing trace analysis of explosives, nerve agents, pharmaceuticals, and biological compounds.
Confocal Raman AFM Imaging of Paper
June 1st 2010A better understanding of the micro- and nanostructures of cellulose fiber composition before and after various chemical treatments, together with the distribution of bleaching additives to the final paper composition, is essential for further improvements of paper properties. Confocal Raman imaging is a valuable tool for such studies, as it reveals not only optical information but also information regarding the 3D distribution of the chemical compounds in the submicrometer range. In the paper surface finishing process, additional surface roughness parameters can be measured by combining confocal Raman microscopy with atomic force microscopy. Such combined analytical microscopes allow a direct linking between high-resolution imaging and chemical identification of various species on a surface.
Raman Chemical Imaging of Explosive Contaminated Fingerprints for Forensic Applications
April 1st 2010The use of explosive devices by terrorist groups has become a constant threat in recent years. Because of this threat, the U.S. Army and other organizations are developing spectroscopic techniques to detect explosives and perform forensic examination of scenes where explosives were handled. In our group, Raman chemical imaging (RCI) is being used for forensic examination of latent fingerprints contaminated with traces of explosives. RCI has the potential to be a powerful technique both for detecting explosives and providing the biometric information necessary to identify individuals who have handled explosives.