Infrared (IR) Spectroscopy

DOGE-related federal funding cuts have sharply reduced salaries, lab budgets, and graduate support in academia. Researchers view the politically driven shifts in priorities as part of recurring systemic issues in U.S. science funding during administrative transitions. The impact on Federal laboratories has varied, with some seeing immediate effects and others experiencing more gradual effects. In general, there is rising uncertainty over future appropriations. Sustainable recovery may require structural reforms, leaner administration, and stronger industry-academia collaboration. New commentary underscores similar challenges, noting scaled-back graduate admissions, spending freezes, and a pervasive sense of overwhelming stress among faculty, students, and staff. This article addresses these issues for the analytical chemistry community.

Top articles published this week include an interview series with Robert Ewing of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a news article on using infrared (IR) cameras to see invisible methane leaks, and an article about the role of vibrational spectroscopy in analyzing plant-based food products.

Researchers in Scotland have developed a drone-mounted infrared imaging system that can detect and map methane gas leaks in real time from up to 13.6 meters away. The innovative approach combines laser spectroscopy with infrared imaging, offering a safer and more efficient tool for monitoring pipeline leaks and greenhouse gas emissions.

Researchers from institutions in Brazil harness near-infrared spectroscopy and machine learning to determine cocoa content with precision.

A new review highlights how vibrational spectroscopy techniques like FTIR, NIR, and Raman offer rapid, non-destructive tools for accurately analyzing plant-based protein content and structure.

Researchers at Xi’an Jiaotong University have demonstrated that ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, combined with histological analysis and machine learning, can accurately distinguish between drowning and strangulation in forensic cases.

A new review led by researchers from MIT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory outlines how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the study of molecular vibrations and phonons, making spectroscopic analysis faster, more accurate, and more accessible.

A recent study reports high-purity blue emission and thermal stability in novel lanthanum (III) complex synthesized via low-energy precipitation method.

This tutorial examines the modeling of diffuse reflectance (DR) in complex particulate samples, such as powders and granular solids. Traditional theoretical frameworks like empirical absorbance, Kubelka-Munk, radiative transfer theory (RTT), and the Hapke model are presented in standard and matrix notation where applicable. Their advantages and limitations are highlighted, particularly for heterogeneous particle size distributions and real-world variations in the optical properties of particulate samples. Hybrid and emerging computational strategies, including Monte Carlo methods, full-wave numerical solvers, and machine learning (ML) models, are evaluated for their potential to produce more generalizable prediction models.

Earlier this month, ABB and Hydrosat announced an expansion of their partnership by launching the second infrared (IR) camera that will go aboard Hydrosat’s VanZyl-2 satellite, which is scheduled for summer 2025.

A team of researchers from Spanish institutions has found that polystyrene used in healthcare packaging shows strong resistance to UVC sterilization, with minimal chemical degradation detected using FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy.

The recipient of the 2025 NYSAS Gold Medal Award is Geraldine L. Richmond, Presidential Chair in Science and Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oregon.

Researchers from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and the University of Padua have uncovered the earliest direct evidence of Upper Palaeolithic humans deliberately processing the non-edible plant Isatis tinctoria, revealing complex behaviors involving medicinal or dye-related plant use over 32,000 years ago.

Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used in this paper to rapidly analyze seven light alkanes (methane, ethane, propane, n-butane, i-butane, n-pentane, and i-pentane) in wellhead gases.

In this tutorial, Thomas G. Mayerhöfer and Jürgen Popp introduce complex-valued chemometrics as a more physically grounded alternative to traditional intensity-based spectroscopy measurement methods. By incorporating both the real and imaginary parts of the complex refractive index of a sample, this approach preserves phase information and improves linearity with sample analyte concentration. The result is more robust and interpretable multivariate models, especially in systems affected by nonlinear effects or strong solvent and analyte interactions.

A recent study published in the journal Food Chemistry explored Brazil’s cachaça industry, focusing on a new analytical method that can confirm the geographic origin of cachaças from the Brejo Paraibano region in Brazil.

Explore advancements in infrared spectroscopy and insights from Brian Smith, a key columnist, on the future of this evolving field.

In Part III, our discussion with Pooja Sheevam focused on the use of long-wave IR (LWIR) spectroscopy in analyzing basaltic rocks.

In this Icons of Spectroscopy article, Executive Editor Jerome Workman Jr. delves into the life and impact of Bruce Kowalski, an analytical chemist whose major contributions to chemometrics helped establish the field of applying advanced quantitative and qualitative mathematics to extract meaningful chemical information from complex datasets. Kowalski’s visionary approach to chemical data analysis, education, and software development has transformed the landscape of modern analytical chemistry for academia and industry.

In this interview segment, Pooja Sheevam elaborates on what LWIR and SWIR are and what advantages they both offer when analyzing Hawaiian geology.

In Part I of our video interview with Pooja Sheevam, she discusses why she and her team used both LWIR and SWIR spectroscopy in analyzing Hawaii's PTA-2 drill core, and how the two techniques complemented each other in the study.

In this Q&A, Pooja Sheevam discusses why she used both long-wave infrared (LWIR) and short-wave IR (SWIR) spectroscopy in analyzing the PTA-2 drill core.

Researchers in Rome used advanced spectroscopic techniques to probe the mineralogy of the CM2 carbonaceous chondrite NWA 12184. This revealed the effects of space weathering and provided insights into C-type asteroid evolution.

In the final part of this three-part interview, Ayanjeet Ghosh of the University of Alabama and Rohit Bhargava of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign talk about the key performance metrics they used to evaluate their model, and what the future of neurodegenerative disease research looks like.

A new review by researchers from IIT Delhi and the University of Queensland highlights how Terahertz (THz) and low-wavenumber Raman (THz-Raman) spectroscopy are advancing quality control and efficiency in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and mineral industries. These powerful non-invasive tools enable detailed multi-parameter sensing, offering deeper insight at the molecular level.