Peer-reviewed Articles

A Raman study of vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is conducted at high pressure to determine phase changes and crystal symmetry through spectral interpretation.

Many foods containing potentially harmful additives are labeled as additive-free. Detecting these additives can be challenging. A rapid method for additive detection is demonstrated using 3D fluorescence spectroscopy combined with an independent component analysis algorithm.

By applying vis-NIR spectroscopy, combined with an integrating sphere technique, a method for nondestructive testing of internal lesions in apples has been developed. This work provides a theoretical basis for the nondestructive testing of apples using tissue optical parameters.

High-precision statistics on desertification of grassland features are an important part of ecosystem research. In this study, a vis-NIR hyperspectral remote sensing system for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) was used to analyze the type and presence of vegetation and soil of typical desertified grassland in Inner Mongolia using a deep belief network and 2D and 3D convolutional neural networks.

LIBS-based imaging has a broad range of applications. Here, we demonstrate those capabilities with examples from paleoclimate research and toxicology studies.

A novel method was developed for detecting Hg2+ in tobacco, with potential application to mercury detection in environmental water samples.

This study shows, for the first time, that limits of detection (LOD) can be improved for P, S and Ca nanoparticles by the addition of N2 to the plasma flow for single-particle inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (spICP-MS). The work also examined the relative LOD differences using Ar-N2 and Ar-N2-H2 mixed-gas plasmas.

In this study, WDXRF and FT-IR are used to analyze a tooth sample of a renal patient, and to compare the results to healthy patients. The quantities of multiple elements are reported using the XRF technique, and FT-IR spectroscopy is used to extract relevant information about the molecular contents of the sample with the important absorption bands identified.

Well-diffracting crystals are essential for X-ray diffraction of crystallized protein for structural determination. A quantum cascade laser (QCL) infrared microscope is used to determine protein aggregation, distinct from self-association, for the success of the crystallization effort.

The morphology and gap spacing of nano-island film SERS substrates are key factors defining the properties of analyte‒substrate interactions. These results of the study described here have implications for understanding signal variation in SERS and in designing future SERS assays.

A Raman spectroscopy method was used to assess the binding of dyes to different samples of carbon-bearing shungite rock with the same carbon content, but different mineral composition.

In this study, FT-IR spectroscopy was used for identification of carbonate minerals in limestone with variable contents of magnesium. Associated spectral bands were identified and assigned. Results of studies of Triassic limestone samples taken from the area of the Polish part of the Germanic Basin using FT-IR are presented. The results of research show that substitution of Ca2+ by Mg2+ in the carbonate phase lattices leads to a continuous wavenumber increase in the assigned band locations.

Raman spectroscopy, using optical tweezers, is capable of measuring the size, refractive index, and chemical composition of single aerosol droplets, at picoliter volumes. This information improves our understanding of molecular-level chemical processes within droplets.

Study of the Content of Inorganic Arsenic and Heavy Metals in Samples of Rice Cakes in the City of Madrid

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) compounds are ubiquitous; thus it is challenging to develop analytical methods that ensure their absence. A newly developed method combining sizeexclusion chromatography with inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy makes it possible to quantify ultratrace levels of PDMS in volatile and nonvolatile organic solvents. A complete range of molecular weights can also be distinguished with this approach.

On-scene analysis of cocaine is an essential tool for law enforcement. This study defines how portable infrared and Raman spectrometers are capable of providing accurate and reliable identification of cocaine and other drugs when and where needed most.

Glitter particles from cosmetics may transfer during personal assaults, and thus glitter may be useful as a forensic tool. In this study, glitter samples were analyzed using ATR–FT-IR in an attempt to develop a characterization scheme to aid in the identification of these particles.

TERS has sub-nanometer spatial resolution and single-molecule sensitivity, making it useful for exploring structure and dynamics at the nanoscale in fields such as biology and electrochemistry.

This SERS method is rapid, accurate, nondestructive, and easy

This study presents a novel, time-efficient, and cost-effective procedure for determining the percentage of oil content in binary mixtures of peanut and canola oils.

This article introduces a new IR technique, microfluidic modulation spectroscopy (MMS), that is designed to address the needs in biotherapeutics, and presents data from measurements of commercially available proteins.

The establishment of quantitative models based on the near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic analysis of plant samples plays an important role in improving both the scope of the models and the accuracy of prediction. This technique could provide a new method for tobacco quality management and provide a new discriminant method for other agricultural products.

Single-cell ICP-MS can accurately quantify the metal concentrations within individual cells, providing new information about the mean metal content and the variation within a cell population. This method is shown to be a vital tool for assessing the specific uptake of metals by ovarian cancer cells and fresh water algae.

Although recent steel coating methods have demonstrated improvements in corrosion resistance, they can prove expensive and complicated. In this study, XPS analysis was used to evaluate the corrosion resistance of steel treated with an alternative technique.

FT-NIR spectroscopy can be used to overcome a range of challenges in raw material identification while also meeting the stringent requirements of regulated environments.

The combination of microwave sample preparation and ICP-OES is examined to meet the challenges of measuring a suite of heavy metals in a wide range of electronic components for RoHS/WEEE compliance.

John M. Cottle, the winner of Spectroscopy’s 2018 Emerging Leader in Atomic Spectroscopy Award, is a leader in the development of novel laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry measurements and their application to tectonic questions in convergent orogens. His three breakthrough measurement methods using LA-ICP-MS for geochemical data collection are breaking new ground in Earth science.

Can morphologically directed Raman spectroscopy obtain more discriminatory information from forensic samples than current tools?

This study reveals the ability of Raman spectroscopy to identify some forensically relevant body fluids, both

In the last decade, numerous SERS substrates have been developed, but it is difficult to compare and validate their plasmonic performance. In this overview, the authors discuss the three physical parameters of any new SERS platform that must be measured-morphological characterization, optical scattering (far-field response), and near-field properties-and future prospects for the development of new SERS platforms.