March 2021

One of the biggest practical limitations of infrared spectroscopy is its difficulty in analyzing mixtures. Infrared library searching can help, but it must be done right.

SERS can be used for the detection and monitoring of drugs as pure compounds and mixtures. A demonstration of a sample preparation method used to detect components with weak substrate adsorption in the spectrum of a mixed solution is shown.

The application of data mining combined with data fusion of Raman and mid- infrared spectra was studied to improve discrimination ability for modeling the geographical origins of rice.

Analysis of heavy metals in pet food using ICP–OES was conducted to determine if there were potentially toxic elements present. Many of the samples showed significant concentrations of various toxic metals.

We report on overall salary trends and how they compare to past years. We also look beyond the numbers to focus on broader trends of workplace satisfaction and career attitudes for spectroscopists.

Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy were combined with imaging to examine the spatial variation of solid-state structure and electronic character of two-dimensional (2-D) tungsten disulfide (WS2) crystals, which represent a family of new inorganic 2-D materials.