May 5th 2025
A new comprehensive review explores how wearable plasmonic sensors using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) are changing the landscape for non-invasive health monitoring. By combining nanotechnology, AI, and real-time spectroscopy analysis to detect critical biomarkers in human sweat, this integration of nanomaterials, flexible electronics, and AI is changing how we monitor health and disease in real-time.
Combined Raman and Photoluminescence Imaging of Two-Dimensional WS2
March 1st 2021Raman 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.
Raman measurements of chromite minerals demonstrated that chromium content could be accurately determined, supporting a possible application of portable Raman devices on Earth or in space for mineral analysis of asteroids and planets.
Assignment of Raman Bands of a Set of Biopolymers with Small Increases in an Added Functional Group
February 1st 2021Raman spectra were measured in combination with 2D-COS analysis to understand how the addition of propyl side groups to a biopolymer backbone influences the structure of the polymer at the atomic level.
Using Raman Spectroscopy for the Characterization of Zeolite Crystals
January 1st 2021Zeolites are the most-used catalyst in industry. Synthesizing tailor-made zeolites is hampered by a poor understanding of how zeolite crystals actually form in solution. Scott M. Auerbach of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst is addressing this challenge with Raman spectroscopy.
Raman Spectroscopy Analysis of Minerals Based on Feature Visualization
November 1st 2020The advantages of machine-learning methods have been widely explored in Raman spectroscopy analysis. In this study, a lightweight network model for mineral analysis based on Raman spectral feature visualization is proposed. The model, called the fire module convolutional neural network (FMCNN), was based on a convolutional neural network, and a fire-module was introduced to increase the width of the network, while also ensuring fewer trainable parameters in the network and reducing the model’s computational complexity. The visualization process is based on a deconvolution network, which maps the features of the middle layer back to the feature space. While fully exploring the features of the Raman spectral data, it also transparently displays the neural network feature extraction results. Experiments show that the classification accuracy of the model reaches 0.988. This method can accurately classify Raman spectra of minerals with less reliance on human participation. Combined with the analysis of the results of feature visualization, our method has high reliability and good application prospects in mineral classification.
Atline Analysis of Commercial Graphene Products with Raman Spectroscopy
November 1st 2020Graphene exhibits special properties, such as high strength and high electrical and thermal conductivity and as such is highly desirable for key electronic components. A new Raman spectroscopy sampling technique has been applied to the characterization of batches of graphene that provides a simple, at-line method for obtaining key product data.
Making Industrial Raman Spectroscopy Practical
November 1st 2020Raman spectroscopy is a valuable process analytical technology (PAT) for many applications across multiple industries, as a result of its many advantages, such as molecular specificity, ability to be directly coupled to a reaction vessel, and compatibility with solids, liquids, gases, and turbid media.
Raman Spectroscopy: Bringing Inline Analysis to Production
November 1st 2020New Raman spectroscopy applications are emerging in non-traditional fields because of advances in easy-to-use commercial Raman spectroscopy instrumentation. With improvements in lasers, optics, and detectors, Raman spectroscopy has developed into a powerful measurement solution for manufacturing and quality control applications.
SAS Meggers Award: Analyzing Soil and Meat with Shifted Excitation Raman Difference Spectroscopy
October 29th 2020Spectroscopy Magazine sat down with Kay Sowoidnich to talk about how his group has demonstrated the potential of shifted-excitation Raman difference spectroscopy (SERDS) as an efficient tool for soil nutrient analysis.
A Further Leap of Biomedical Raman Imaging
July 1st 2020In the past decades, we have witnessed the evolution of imaging technologies based on vibrational spectroscopy. In particular, the technical developments in Raman, coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS), and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy allow researchers to gain new insights in biological, medical, and pharmaceutical studies.
Combining Spectroscopy with Microscopy for Advancing the Analysis of Forensically Relevant Traces
July 1st 2020Forensic traces are physical remnants of past events that provide critical information for criminal and civil investigations and adjudications. The scientific examination of traces is an incredibly valuable tool for forensic investigations, because the skilled interpretation of traces yields factual answers to a range of pertinent questions.
Applications of Confocal Raman Spectroscopy and Imaging in the Medical Device Industry
June 1st 2020Raman spectroscopy and imaging techniques are well suited for the characterization of surfaces, interfaces, and coatings to support research, development, and manufacturing of medical devices. Here, we describe applications in surface modifications and coatings, differentiation of drug polymorphs, degradation of biomaterials, and forensic identification of unknown materials.
In Situ Enhancement of Microplastic Raman Signals in Water Using Ultrasonic Capture
June 1st 2020Of the 78 million tons of plastic packaging manufactured every year, approximately one-third ends up in the ocean, the air, and most foods and beverages. To monitor the proliferation of these plastics, an ultrasonic capture method is demonstrated that produces a 1500-fold enhancement of Raman signals of microplastics in water.
Characterization of TiO2 Nanopowders by Raman Spectroscopy
June 1st 2020Raman spectroscopy is proving to be a powerful technique for characterizing the structural and morphological properties of nanopowders. Specifically, Raman spectroscopy can provide details of the grain size and thickness of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanopowder films. These measured film properties affect the efficiency of photovoltaic devices, such as solar cells, and also the effectiveness of nanopowders in catalysis applications.