Best of the Week: Peak Positions, Jeanette Grasselli Brown, ICP-MS for Raw Materials in Waste Streams
Spectroscopy published stories highlighting the work of Jeanette Grasselli Brown, as well as the latest analysis on spectral interpretation, atomic spectroscopy, and more.
This week, Spectroscopy published a variety of articles on the hottest topics in analytical spectroscopy and beyond. These articles highlight a wide range of spectroscopic techniques and application areas. Below, we’ve highlighted some of the most popular articles, according to our readers and subscribers. Happy reading!
By Brian C. Smith
In our “IR Spectral Interpretation” column published in our April/May 2024 print issue, Smith reexamines the beginning and intermediate topics of infrared (IR) spectroscopy. He reviews the information that is contained in an IR spectrum, which includes peak positions, peak heights, and peak width, and how all these bits of information tell us about the structure and concentration of molecules in a sample (1).
Icons of Spectroscopy: An Interview with Jeanette Grasselli Brown, Part I
By Caroline Hroncich
Jeanette Grasselli Brown is undoubtedly an icon of spectroscopy. Her story is one of perseverance—forging a path for herself at a time where few women were able to get ahead in science. Grasselli Brown's expertise includes vibrational spectroscopy, combined instrumental techniques, computerized spectroscopy, process analysis and control, and environmental spectroscopy. Spectroscopy associate editorial director Caroline Hroncich sat down with Jeanette Grasselli Brown to talk about her career in spectroscopy.
She holds 13 honorary degrees, including an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Ohio University, her alma mater. Grasselli Brown also holds one patent and has published 80 papers and nine books in the field of IR and Raman spectroscopy. She was the editor of the journal Vibrational Spectroscopy from 1989–1995 (2).
By Glenna Thomas
In our “Atomic Perspectives” column published in our April/May 2024 print issue, Thomas explores the current landscape of global critical raw materials (CRM) trends in research and the applications of atomic spectroscopy (AS), including inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS), inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES), and X-ray analytical techniques in their identification of diverse industrial and environmental media (3).
By Jerome Workman, Jr.
In this article, two distinct baseline correction methods, frequency-domain polynomial fitting, and time-domain molecular free induction decay (m-FID), are compared to determine which approach is more effective in reducing baseline errors in infrared absorption spectra (4).
Unveiling the Link Between Fatty Acids and Neurodegenerative Diseases
By Will Wetzel
Spectroscopy’s 2023 Emerging Leader in Molecular Spectroscopy award winner Dmitry Kurouski and his team recently explored the link between fatty acids and neurodegenerative diseases, examining the potential relationship between LCPUFAs and neurodegenerative diseases like diabetes type 2 and Parkinson's disease (5).
References
(1) Smith, B. C. Infrared Spectral Interpretation, In The Beginning I: The Meaning of Peak Positions, Heights, and Widths. Spectroscopy 2024, 39 (4), 18–24.
(2) Hroncich, C. Icons of Spectroscopy: An Interview with Jeanette Grasselli Brown, Part I. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/icons-of-spectroscopy-an-interview-with-jeanette-grasselli-brown-part-i (accessed 2024-05-09).
(3) Thomas, G. The Application of Atomic Spectroscopy Techniques in the Recovery of Critical Raw Materials from Industrial Waste Streams, Part I. Spectroscopy 2024, 39 (4), 8–11.
(4) Workman, Jr., J. Getting to the Bottom of Baseline: New Study Compares Approaches to Correcting Infrared Spectroscopy Artifacts. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/new-study-compares-approaches-to-correcting-infrared-spectroscopy-artifacts (accessed 2024-05-09).
(5) Wetzel, W. Unveiling the Link Between Fatty Acids and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/unveiling-the-link-between-fatty-acids-and-neurodegenerative-diseases (accessed 2024-05-09).
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How Analytical Chemists Are Navigating DOGE-Driven Funding Cuts
July 14th 2025DOGE-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.
ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy Enhances Accuracy in Identifying Asphyxial Deaths, Study Finds
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