February 13th 2025
Researchers at Zhengzhou Police University have developed an AI-powered Raman spectroscopy method that achieves 100% accuracy in identifying plastic beverage bottles.
February 10th 2025
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.
Handheld FT-IR and Raman as Tools in the Analysis of Improvised Explosive Materials
April 1st 2010Interest in vibrational spectroscopy, principally Raman and mid-IR (FT-IR) continues to increase as these analytical techniques may be applied to a wide variety of fields, including the safety/security sector. Raman and FT-IR have seen rapid deployment for use in homeland security applications, largely due to the high chemical specificity which allows robust identification. In this article, we discuss the application of the latest portable, rugged Raman and FT-IR handhelds, enabling robust identification of explosives, TICs, TIMs, and narcotics in the field. This article introduces explosives, their different classes, and the applicability of Raman and FT-IR spectroscopy to identify their components (commercial, HMEs, and IEDs) or precursors.
Raman Spectroscopy of Documents
April 1st 2010Documents have been investigated to determine the feasibility of utilizing Raman and SERS Raman spectroscopy for the identification and characterization of inks on paper. Fluorescence reduction methods have been employed to facilitate the analysis by reducing the nascent fluorescence from paper and ink. Furthermore, ink crossings were investigated to demonstrate that ink applied after creation of a document could be differentiated from the originally applied ink.
Applications of 1064 nm Dispersive Raman Systems in Biofuel Research
February 1st 2010BaySpec, 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.
Detection and Sourcing of Counterfeit Pharmaceutical Products and Consumer Goods
August 1st 2009The authors discuss the use of vibrational spectroscopy to differentiate an authentic article from a counterfeit one throughout a product's lifecycle, from component receipt at the site of manufacture, to product receipt by the end user.
Market Profile: Raman-Enabled FT-IR
June 1st 2009Infrared (IR) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy are very complementary methods. The strongest demand tends to come from applications that require analytical information from a potentially broad range of compounds and functional groups. The global market for combined Raman and FT-IR accounts for a small but growing percentage of both the broader IR and Raman spectroscopy markets.
Transmission Raman Offers Improved Quantitation of Pharmaceutical Solids
June 1st 2009Manufacturing control of pharmaceutical solids requires routine measurement of content uniformity. Because of the high information content in Raman spectra, it has been considered a candidate technology for making these measurements.
Analysis of Multicomponent Polymer Blends with Confocal Raman Imaging and Atomic Force Microscopy
June 1st 2009Polymer blends are designed to address the needs of different industries, and in many cases the relationship between structure, morphology, and material properties is indispensable for optimization of material design.