Trending on Spectroscopy: The Top Content of 2024

The editors of Spectroscopy break down the top content of 2024.

As analytical spectroscopy advances in both academic and industrial sectors, the editors of Spectroscopy are equally dedicated to reimagining how we can provide more innovative and engaging content to our global readership.

This year, we launched several new content series, including one focused on the future of forensic analysis and another exploring innovations in agriculture for future generations. Our popular Icons of Spectroscopy Laureate Series continued to spotlight the lives and careers of the most influential vibrational and atomic spectroscopists of the past century. We also covered major conferences, such as Pittcon, SciX, Analytica, and the Eastern Analytical Symposium (EAS), among others. Each month, we released fresh episodes of Analytically Speaking, available on all major podcast platforms. Additionally, we’ve maintained a steady flow of technical articles and peer-reviewed research to keep our readers ahead of the curve in spectroscopy trends.

Building on these highlights, below you’ll find a sampling of our most popular content from the year, in no particular order. Do you have suggestions for topics you'd like us to cover next year? Feel free to reach out to me directly at chroncich@mjhlifesciences.com. I’d love to hear your feedback.

Infrared Spectral Interpretation, In The Beginning I: The Meaning of Peak Positions, Heights, and Widths
By Brian C. Smith
I have been writing this column for almost 10 years, and we have reached a watershed moment. We have covered what I call the beginning and intermediate topics. However, before we venture off into advanced topics, a review is in order. I will spend the next four columns summarizing what we have learned so far so that the advanced topics will make more sense.

Ep. 27: Exploring the World of Spectroscopy for Portable and Wearable Systems: Technology and Applications
By Jerome Workman, Jr.
In this episode, Jerry Workman speaks with Richard Crocombe of Crocombe Spectroscopic Consulting, about the world of ever shrinking spectrometers. We explore the technologies and applications for such portable and wearable systems and the future of spectroscopy in our everyday lives.

Raman Spectroscopy to Detect Traumatic Brain Injuries: An Interview with Pola Goldberg Oppenheimer
By Aaron Acevedo
In a recent study from the University of Birmingham, a group of researchers led by Pola Goldberg Oppenheimer aimed to develop a better technology for rapid point-of-care diagnostics (PoC) for early-stage traumatic brain injury (TBI). Spectroscopy sat down with Goldberg Oppenheimer to discuss her research and what advancements are needed to detect TBI in patients at earlier stages.

Simultaneous Determination of 50 Elements in Geochemical Samples by Low-Pressure Closed Digestion-ICP-MS
By Jiahan Wang and Kai Tang
Geochemical samples were digested using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) crucibles with screw caps followed by ICP-MS analysis of 50 elements. Two-point standard curves were plotted using blank solution and national standard reference GSD-9 for stream sediments, and the acid system, digestion conditions, isotopes, and internal standards for each element were optimized. The results showed that the detection limits for most elements were less than 0.2 μg/g, and the relative standard deviations for all elements ranged from 1.1% to 16.4%. The measured values were in agreement with the certified values of national standard references. This method not only significantly reduces the amount of acid used and avoids dust contamination, but also accurately determines some volatile elements. In addition, it has the advantages of easy operation and high pretreatment efficiency, making it very suitable for laboratories with large numbers of samples and multiple elements to be tested.

The Application of Atomic Spectroscopy Techniques in the Recovery of Critical Raw Materials from Industrial Waste Streams, Part I
By Glenna Thomas
This article 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, which have been essential in method validation and quantification of CRMs in complex matrices presenting high risks of interference. Some important examples that are presented include rare earth elements (REE) in water leaching purification (WLP) residues that co-occur with radio- active materials, REEs and other metals in acid mine drainage (AMD) environments, REEs in coal combustion (fly ash) residues, arsenic (As) from groundwater treatment sediment, and platinum-group elements (PGE) from sewage sludge. In addition, the article classifies the different techniques in use at each stage of the CRM recovery train, investigate present challenges to each analytical method, and discuss the problem-solving tools used.

Spectroscopy Supplement: Advances in Environmental Analysis for Today’s Spectroscopists
This supplement explores the latest trends and insights in environmental testing through the lens of spectroscopy.

Are We There Yet? Is There Such a Thing as an Expert Calibration System for Vibrational Spectroscopy?
By Jerome Workman, Jr. and Howard Mark
The development of an expert calibration system (ECS) for spectroscopic-based process analytical chemistry would be a significant advancement aimed at automating the creation of high-quality calibration models for standard zero-order and first-order calibrations as well as multidimensional imaging applications. The concept of ECS would seek to reduce the reliance on users’ extensive knowledge of chemometrics all the while leveraging their domain knowledge and understanding of specific sample physical and chemical properties. By providing automated tools and guidance, an ECS would aim to streamline the calibration process, improve calibration transfer, enhance operator efficiency, and improve the overall consistency and reliability of analytical results produced using advanced chemometrics and machine earning techniques. In this article, we resurrect the discussion from nearly three decades ago.

Coming to a Screen Near You?
By Mahboubeh Lotfinia and R.D. McDowall
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is using Remote Interactive Evaluations (RIE) to assess regulatory compliance, review submission material, or determine the timing of future inspections. Here, we look at some of the impacts of RIE on GxP laboratories. Although RIE is voluntary, is this an offer that you cannot refuse?

Prediction of the Harvest Time of Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
By Yijia Luo and Jingrui Zhao
Harvest time assessment during the grape-ripening process can provide meaningful information for vineyard harvest scheduling. The purpose of this study was to investigate the identification of the harvest time of grape clusters using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. During the harvest season from September to October 2019, bunches of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were examined. Before establishing two classification models, namely partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and support vector machine (SVM) models, raw spectra were processed by different pre-processing methods, including multiplicative signal correction (MSC), mean-centering, the standard normal variable (SNV), and the Savitzky-Golay method. Competitive adaptive weighted sampling (CARS) and the successive projections algorithm (SPA) were employed to select the optimal wavenumbers. The results indicate that NIR spectroscopy is a potentially promising approach for the rapid identification of different harvest times of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, and the proposed technique is helpful for the prediction of ripened and over-ripened Cabernet Sauvignon grapes during the harvest time.

Icons of Spectroscopy: An Interview with Jeannette Grasselli Brown, Part I
By Caroline Hroncich
Spectroscopy sat down with Jeannette Grasselli Brown to discuss her early life and how she got started working in chemistry.

Evaluating a Multilayer Polymer Film by Raman Microscopy
By Fran Adar
In this article, we show a cross-sectional map of a film compared to a depth profile to evaluate the quality of depth profile measurements.

From Bakelite to Biodegradable: Practical Initiatives for Broadband Spectroscopy in Plastic Remediation and Replacement
By Derek Guenther
In a world where plastic pollution can be seen out most windows, no article is needed to convey the global scope of the plastics problem. But this topic often becomes bifurcated into technological discussions without concrete implementations, or broad initiatives without a tether to the aforementioned technologies. Here we aim to fuse these two by connecting the capabilities of ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), near-infrared (IR), and Raman spectroscopies with practical, real-world initiatives being carried out at the corporate and social levels. Spectroscopy plays a critical role in both macroscopic and microscopic plastics detection, which is the first step in remediation, and also in the commercial replacement of plastics with biodegradable materials. This piece provides tangible examples of efforts being made today, including details on spectral hardware implementation, but more importantly provides proposals to the reader on how they can make a meaningful difference in their own world.

Ellis Ridgeway Lippincott: A Legacy of Scientific Innovation
By Jerome Workman, Jr.
Ellis R. Lippincott is one of the most influential spectroscopists of the past 100 years. He has been a notable research figure in molecular spectra and structure studies using infrared and Raman spectroscopy; in the study of potential energy functions, including hydrogen bonding; and in the invention and study of high-pressure spectroscopic studies using the high-pressure diamond anvil cell. He also has applied spectroscopic techniques and analysis to the study of planetary atmospheres, to biochemistry, and to chemical lasers.

2024 Review of Spectroscopic Instrumentation
By Ellen Miseo
This review covers products introduced in the spectroscopy space between May 2023 and April 2024, to give complete coverage, and it will be broken into four sections: instrumentation, accessories, software, and components. The difference between an accessory and a component is that an accessory is designed to be used with a complete instrument, while a component can be used to construct the instrument.

SciX 2024: An Interview on Mentorship with Anita Mahadevan-Jansen
By Caroline Hroncich and Aaron Acevedo
As part of our series of mentorship interviews, we interviewed Anita Mahadevan-Jansen of Vanderbilt University. In addition to holding a directorship at the Biophotonics Center at Vanderbilt University (VBC), she is also the President of SPIE. Mahadevan-Jansen's research focuses on the application of optical techniques for the diagnosis of pathology and neuromodulation.