Non‐invasive depth profiling by space and time‐resolved Raman spectroscopy

Time‐resolved Raman spectroscopy, spatially offset Raman spectroscopy and time‐resolved spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (TR‐SORS) have proven their capability for the non‐invasive profiling of deep layers of a sample. Recent studies have indicated that TR‐SORS exhibits an enhanced selectivity toward the deep layers of a sample. However, the enhanced depth profiling efficiency of TR‐SORS, in comparison with time‐resolved Raman spectroscopy and spatially offset Raman spectroscopy, is yet to be assessed and explained in accordance to the synergistic effects of spatial and temporal resolutions. This study provides a critical investigation of the depth profiling efficiency of the three deep Raman techniques. The study compares the efficiency of the various deep Raman spectroscopy techniques for the stand‐off detection of explosive precursors hidden in highly fluorescing packaging. The study explains for the first time the synergistic effects of spatial and temporal resolutions in the deep Raman techniques and their impact on the acquired spectral data. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Contrasting confocal with defocusing microscale spatially offset Raman spectroscopy

The study compares and contrasts conventional confocal Raman microscopy/spectroscopy (CRM) with a recently developed micrometer scale defocusing spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (micro‐SORS), a method providing a new analytical capability for investigating non‐destructively the chemical composition of subsurface, micrometer‐scale‐thick diffusely scattering layers at depths beyond the reach of CRM. Because of close similarities between the two techniques and comparable embodiment of the instrumentations, but radically different interpretations of data, it is crucially important to recognise which type of method is pertinent to a specific measurement. The distinction comes principally from the nature of sample, whether turbid (micro‐SORS measurement) or transparent (CRM measurement) on the spatial scale of the axial (z‐)scan of the measurement. Which type of sample one deals with may not always be easily recognisable with micro‐scale thick layers, and the study therefore also presents a simple method for suggesting whether CRM or micro‐SORS methodology applies. This test relies on an axial (z‐)scan performed through the sample in both the positive and negative directions from the normal, imaged sample surface position using conventional CRM instrument. The absence or presence of symmetry or asymmetry of the intensity profiles of measured Raman signals around the imaged sample surface position as a function of sample axial displacement then suggests which interpretation could apply. The study paves a way for the development of micro‐SORS as a widely applicable analytical tool deployable on conventional Raman microscopes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Subsurface analysis of painted sculptures and plasters using micrometre‐scale spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (micro‐SORS)

A recently developed variant of spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) for the non‐invasive analysis of thin painted layers, micro‐SORS, has been applied, for the first time, to real objects of Cultural Heritage – namely painted sculptures and plasters. Thin layers of paint originating from multiple restoration processes often applied over many centuries have been analysed non‐destructively using micro‐SORS to depths inaccessible to, or unresolvable into separate layers, by conventional confocal Raman microscopy. The concept has been demonstrated on several artistic artefacts of historical significance originating from Italy and dating from the medieval to the 18th century. The technique extends the depth applicability of Raman spectroscopy and with its inherently high chemical specificity that expands the portfolio of existing non‐destructive analytical tools in Cultural Heritage permitting to avoid cross‐sectional analysis often necessitated with this type of samples with conventional Raman microscopy. Currently, the method is non‐invasive only for artworks that can be placed under Raman microscope although there is a prospect for its use in a mobile system with largely removed restrictions on sample dimensions. © 2015 The Authors Journal of Raman Spectroscopy Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

空间偏移拉曼光谱技术的发展及应用

传统拉曼光谱只能探测样品的表层信息,或者只能穿透透明的表层探测样品内部,对多层不透明或不透明包装的样品检测则不适用了,比如搜索隐蔽的爆炸物、识别有包装的假药、无损检测骨骼疾病等。空间偏移拉曼光谱（SORS）技术是一种新型光谱检测技术,能够非侵入不透明包装或表层直接获得样品内部深层特征信息,这一技术的出现解决了上述的难题。首先详细介绍了SORS技术的工作原理：其根本原理在于光子迁移理论,其系统激光光源的入射焦点与光谱系统中收集透镜的焦点在待测样品表层空间上偏移一定的距离ΔS。当激光入射到待测样品表层时,表层样品被激发或散射出宽带荧光,其中有一部分散射光将到达样品内部,样品内部深层处产生的拉曼散射光子相比于样品表层的光子在散射过程中更易于横向迁移,经多次散射后返回样品表层被光谱仪器接收系统收集。到达样品内部不同深度ΔH的散射光返回表层后的位置距离激光光源入射点在样品表层上有不同的偏移距离ΔS。当空间偏移距离ΔS＝0时,激光光源入射点与拉曼光谱收集点重合,此处激发的光子密度最大,系统收集到的拉曼光谱信号大部分来自样品表层,样品深层拉曼信号被淹没;当空间偏移距离ΔS≠0时,光谱仪器收集到的拉曼光谱信号中来自表层的信号衰减很快,来自样品深层的信号衰减较慢,使得更深层的拉曼散射光子比重变大,从而实现光谱分离,再结合多元数据分析方法可以获得样品内部不同深层次的拉曼光谱,即空间偏移拉曼光谱。该技术具有很好抑制表层物质拉曼光谱和荧光光谱干扰的能力,特别适用于隐蔽在不透明包装材料下的物质拉曼光谱的提取,从而快速、非侵入地对目标物成分进行鉴定。其次介绍了SORS技术的特点。SORS技术是拉曼光谱的衍生技术,具备拉曼光谱技术的制样简单、水分干扰小、样品消耗量小、灵敏度高等全部优点,除此之外,有效抑制荧光、深层检测、非侵入无损检测、远距离检测等特点,这些特点有效提高了拉曼光谱强度,降低用户的检测和生产成本以及提高检测人员的人身安全。同时概述并对比了SORS技术现有的三种工作方式：标准SORS、逆SORS和倾斜SORS。标准SORS技术可进行远距离非接触测量,逆SORS较之标准SORS具有更高的灵敏度和抗光谱扭曲的潜力,而且入射的有效光照面和空间偏移距离ΔS是可控的,避免了样品过热;倾斜SORS具有较高的检测灵敏度,而且实验装置容易实现。然后在大量调研文献的基础上综述了近些年来SORS技术结合其他技术在化工生产、安检、生物医学、考古艺术、食品安全、稽查打假以及国防安全等多个领域的国内外发展和应用。最后指出了SORS技术目前存在的问题并展望了该技术未来的发展前景。     

基于逆向空间偏移拉曼光谱技术的多层混浊样品深层分析研究

空间偏移拉曼光谱（SORS）能够准确、快速、无损检测多层混浊介质样品深层生化构成信息。该研究通过搭建集成化逆向SORS光谱分析装置,在实现逆向SORS和背散射式拉曼光谱两种不同的光谱检测模式的基础上,检测与分析了不同空间偏移量（Δs）条件下双/三层组织模型内的深层拉曼光谱信息,并根据几何光学理论和投影测量原理,量化标定了Δs与锥透镜空间位置之间的关系,这为精确控制光谱检测条件提供了保障。为了验证该装置的检测能力,采用由羊肩胛骨/对乙酰氨基酚组成的双层模型和猪皮/硅橡胶/对乙酰氨基酚组成的三层模型,获得不同Δs条件下包含样品表层和深层信息的混合光谱。并进一步对该混合光谱进行面积归一化处理,观察到随着Δs的增大样品表层的拉曼贡献逐渐减小,而第二层以及第三层的拉曼贡献逐渐增大的现象。在此基础上,通过选择模型中每层物质的拉曼特征峰计算其相对拉曼强度,分析研究了相对拉曼强度、空间偏移量与样品厚度三者之间关系,即当Δs增大时相对拉曼强度比值随之增加,这清晰地表明深层物质的拉曼强度增加。然而,在同一Δs条件下,相对拉曼强度随着表层物质厚度的增大而减小。以上实验结果表明,我们搭建的集成化逆向SORS光谱分析装置可从深度达8 mm的生物模型下获取光谱信息,并证明了该装置在经皮无损探测方面的应用价值。     

Applications of Raman spectroscopy in herbal medicine

Raman spectroscopic techniques are a group of chemical fingerprint detection methods based on molecular vibrational spectroscopy. They are compatible with aqueous solutions and are time saving, nondestructive, and highly informative. With complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) becoming increasingly popular, more people are consuming natural herbal medicines. Thus, chemical fingerprints of herbal medicines are investigated to determine the content of these products. In this study, I review the different types of Raman spectroscopic techniques used in fingerprinting herbal medicines, including dispersive Raman spectroscopy, resonance Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform (FT)–Raman spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy, and confocal/microscopic Raman spectroscopy. Lab-grade Raman spectroscopy instruments help detect the chemical components of herbal medicines effectively and accurately without the need for complicated separation and extraction procedures. In addition, portable Raman spectroscopy instruments could be used to monitor the health and safety compliance of herbal products in the consumer market.     

Photon migration of Raman signal in bone as measured with spatially offset Raman spectroscopy

Spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) is currently being developed as an in vivo tool for bone disease detection, but to date, information about the interrogated volume as influenced by the light propagation and scattering characteristics of the bone matrix is still limited. This paper seeks to develop our general understanding of the sampling depths of SORS in bone specimens as a function of the applied spatial offset. Equine metacarpal bone was selected as a suitable specimen of compact cortical bone large enough to allow several thin slices (600 µm) to be cut from the dorsal surface. Photon migration at 830‐nm excitation was studied with five bone slices and a 380‐µm‐thin polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) slice placed consecutively between the layers. To optimize Raman signal recovery of the PTFE with increasing depth within the bone stack required a corresponding increase in spatial offset. For example, to sample effectively at 2.2‐mm depth within the bone required an optimal SORS offset of 7 mm. However, with a 7‐mm offset, the maximum accessible penetration depth from which the PTFE signal could be still recovered was 3.7 mm. These results provide essential basic information for developing SORS technology for medical diagnostics in general and optimizing sampling through bone tissue, permitting a better understanding of the relationship between the offset and depth of bone assessed, in particular. Potential applications include the detection of chemically specific markers for changes in bone matrix chemistry localized within the tissue and not present in healthy bone. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Passive signal enhancement in spatially offset Raman spectroscopy

We demonstrate experimentally, for the first time, the feasibility of enhancing signals in Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS) using a dielectric bandpass filter, building on our earlier experimental work on the enhancement of transmission Raman signals. The method is shown to lead to the enhancement of both the surface and subsurface Raman layer signal improving the signal‐to‐noise ratio of Raman spectra from the deep areas of samples, thus enhancing the technique's sensitivity and penetration depth. The filter is placed over the laser illumination zone, on the sample surface acting as a ‘unidirectional’ mirror transmitting the collimated laser beam on one side and reflecting photons escaping from the sample back into it. This enhances the degree of coupling of laser radiation into the medium and associated generated Raman signal. The feasibility study was performed on a two‐layer sample with the second layer located at the limit of the penetration depth of the method for this sample. The sample consisted of a 2.2‐mm over‐layer of a thinned paracetamol tablet followed by a 2‐mm layer of trans‐stilbene powder. The Raman signal was collected from a spatially offset region through a hole fabricated within the filter. The experiments demonstrate the presence of an enhancement of the Raman signal from both the layers by a factor of 4.4–4.5 and the improved signal‐to‐noise ratio of sublayer signal by a factor of 2.2, in agreement with photon shot noise dominated signal. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Towards the in vivo prediction of fragility fractures with Raman spectroscopy

Fragility fractures, those fractures which result from low level trauma, have a large and growing socio‐economic cost in countries with aging populations. Bone‐density‐based assessment techniques are vital for identifying populations that are at higher risk of fracture, but do not have high sensitivity when it comes to identifying individuals who will go on to have their first fragility fracture. We are developing Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS) as a tool for retrieving chemical information from bone non‐invasively in vivo. Unlike X‐ray‐based techniques SORS can retrieve chemical information from both the mineral and protein phases of the bone. This may enable better discrimination between those who will or will not go on to have a fragility fracture because both phases contribute to bone's mechanical properties. In this study we analyse excised bone with Raman spectroscopy and multivariate analysis, and then attempt to look for similar Raman signals in vivo using SORS. We show in the excised work that on average, bone fragments from the necks of fractured femora are more mineralised (by 5–10%) than (cadaveric) non‐fractured controls, but the mineralisation distributions of the two cohorts are largely overlapped. In our in vivo measurements, we observe similar, but as yet statistically underpowered, differences. After the SORS data (the first SORS measurements reported of healthy and diseased human cohorts), we identify methodological developments which will be used to improve the statistical significance of future experiments and may eventually lead to more sensitive prediction of fragility fractures. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A line‐scan hyperspectral Raman system for spatially offset Raman spectroscopy

Spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) is a technique that can obtain subsurface layered information by collecting Raman spectra from a series of surface positions laterally offset from the excitation laser. Currently optical fiber probes are used as major tools in SORS measurement, which are either slow (single fiber probe with mechanical movement) or restricted in selecting offset range and interval (fiber probe array). This study proposes a new method to conduct SORS measurement based on a newly developed line‐scan hyperspectral Raman imaging system. A 785‐nm point laser was used as an excitation source. A detection module consisting of an imaging spectrograph and a charge‐coupled device camera was used to acquire line‐shape SORS data in a spectral region of −592 to 3015 cm⁻¹. Using a single scan, the system allowed simultaneous collection of a series of Raman spectra in a broad offset range (e.g. 0–36 mm in two sides of the incident laser) with a narrow interval (e.g. 0.07 mm). Four layered samples were created by placing butter slices with thicknesses of 1, 4, 7, and 10 mm on top of melamine powder, providing different individual Raman characteristics to test the line‐scan SORS technique. Self‐modeling mixture analysis (SMA) was used to analyze the SORS data. Raman spectra from butter and melamine were successfully retrieved for all four butter‐on‐melamine samples using the SMA method. The line‐scan SORS measurement technique provides a flexible and efficient method for subsurface evaluation, which has potential to be used for food safety and quality inspection. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Applications of Raman spectroscopy in detection of water quality

Water pollution is hazardous to the health of humans and other organisms, and detection of pollutants in aquatic environments is of primary importance for water quality monitoring. Raman spectroscopy offers an effective tool for qualitative analysis and quantitative detection of contaminants in a water environment. This article focuses on applications of Raman spectroscopy for detection of water quality. In this article, various Raman spectroscopy techniques employed for water quality detection are presented based on the types of pollutants: organics, inorganics, and biological contaminants. Additionally, the relevant detection parameters are reviewed, such as detection materials, limit of detection, detection range, peak positions, and selectivity. Furthermore, the advantages and limitations of various Raman spectroscopy techniques are summarized. Finally, the future development of Raman spectroscopy for detection of water quality is discussed.     

Applications of Raman spectroscopy in dentistry part II: Soft tissue analysis

Raman spectroscopy is rapidly moving from an experimental technique for the analysis of biological molecules to a tool for the real-time clinical diagnosis and in situ evaluation of the oral tissue in medical and dental research. The purpose of this study is to identify various applications of Raman spectroscopy, to evaluate the contemporary status, and to explore future directions in the field of dentistry. Several in-depth applications are presented to illustrate Raman spectroscopy in early diagnosis of soft tissue abnormalities. Raman spectroscopy allows researchers to analyze histological and biochemical composition of biological tissues. The technique not only demonstrates its role in the disclosure of dysplasia and malignancy, but also in performing guided biopsies, diagnosing sialoliths, and assessment of surgical margins. Raman spectroscopy is used to identify the molecular structures and their components to give substantial information about the chemical structure properties of these molecules. In this article, we acquaint the utilization of Raman spectroscopy in analyzing the soft tissues in relation to dentistry.     

Recent Advances in linear and nonlinear Raman spectroscopy I

Raman spectroscopy has advanced considerably in the last several years due to rapid developments in instrumentation and the availability of theoretical methods for accurate calculation of Raman spectra, thus enormously facilitating the interpretation of Raman data. This review is restricted to cover papers mainly published in the Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, which serve to give a fast overview of recent advances in this research field as well as to provide readers of this journal a quick introduction to the various subfields of Raman spectroscopy. It also reflects the current research interests of the Raman community. Similar reviews of highly active areas of Raman spectroscopy will appear in future issues of this journal. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Recent advances in linear and nonlinear Raman spectroscopy II

Following the first review on recent advances in linear and nonlinear Raman spectroscopy, the present review summarizes papers mainly published in the Journal of Raman Spectroscopy during 2007. This serves to give a fast overview of recent advances in this research field as well as to provide readers of this journal a quick introduction to the various subfields of Raman spectroscopy. It also reflects the current research interests of the Raman community. Similar reviews of highly active areas of Raman spectroscopy will appear in future issues of this journal. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wide area Raman spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy allows nondestructive analysis of materials using laser illumination. However, most Raman spectrometers can only provide good signal levels and sufficient spectral resolution, by focusing the laser to micrometer-sized spots. This equates to enormous laser intensities, which for samples with even very minor optical absorption either means destroying or damaging it by absorbing even a tiny fraction of the laser power, or it means reducing the laser intensity and hence the signal level. Furthermore, Raman signals generated above or below the focal plane are rejected in traditional Raman spectrometers. As signal levels are already extremely low in Raman spectroscopy, several schemes offer an alternative to focusing down to a diffraction-limited spot, to increase the area by up to 6 orders of magnitude, and increase the sampling depth. This review describes and compares these schemes, and estimates the typical illumination areas.     

Ultrafast Raman loss spectroscopy

This paper deals with a new form of nonlinear Raman spectroscopy called ‘ultrafast Raman loss spectroscopy (URLS)’. URLS is analogous to stimulated Raman spectroscopy (SRS) but is much more sensitive than SRS. The signals are background (noise) free unlike in coherent anti‐Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) and it provides natural fluorescence rejection, which is a major problem in Raman spectroscopy. In addition, being a self‐phase matching process, the URLS experiment is much easier than CARS, which requires specific phase matching of the laser pulses. URLS is expected to be alternative if not competitive to CARS microscopy, which has become a popular technique in applications to materials, biology and medicine. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Subtracted shifted Raman spectroscopy of organic dyes and lakes

Resonance Raman spectroscopy has been utilized to identify vegetal and animal dyes and lakes. These compounds have been used by artists since antiquity, and their identification has important implications in art history and conservation. The resonance condition is useful when working with real ancient objects so as to enhance the Raman scattering of chromophores with respect to the strong signal of the matrix, such as the textile or parchment over which the colorant is supported. The strong fluorescence that generally characterizes the resonance Raman spectra was eliminated by using subtracted shifted Raman spectroscopy (SSRS). A systematic study on reference organic dyes was primarily carried out to evaluate the suitability of the method and to estimate the strengths and limitations of the spectrum reconstruction process. The method was then applied to the noninvasive identification of madder on ancient dyed silk textiles such as an altar table cloth and a manutergium attributed to the Egyptian artistic textile production of the 10th–11th Century A.D. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Recent advances in linear and nonlinear Raman spectroscopy. Part VII

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of advances in the field of Raman spectroscopy as reflected in articles published each year in the Journal of Raman Spectroscopy as well as in trends across related journals publishing in this research area. The context for this review is derived from statistical data on article counts obtained from Thomson Reuters ISI Web of Knowledge by year and by subfield of Raman spectroscopy. Additional information is gleaned from presentations featuring Raman spectroscopy presented at the International Conference on Advanced Vibrational Spectroscopy in Kobe Japan in August 2013 and at SCIX 2013 sponsored by the Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, October 2013. Papers published in the Journal of Raman Spectroscopy in 2012 are highlighted in this review and reflect topics and advances at the frontier of Raman spectroscopy, a field that is expanding rapidly as a sensitive photonic probe of matter at the molecular level in an ever widening sphere of novel applications. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Raman spectroscopy of seized drugs and density functional theory interpretation

Abstract

The demand for a hand-held Raman spectrometer in the fast and accurate detection and identification of seized drugs is much higher than before, especially when facing unknown suspicious drugs. However, Raman spectra for the different drugs are less reported due to the inaccessibility of them. Here, we reported the experimental Raman spectra in detail of four typical drugs (such as methamphetamine, ketamine, caffeine, and magu). The Raman vibrational frequencies were also calculated by the method of density functional theory (DFT) at Becke-3-Lee-Yang-Parr (B3LYP) level with the 6-31?G and 6-31G(d,p) basis set. The results show that the experimental Raman spectra of these typical drugs are consistent with the theoretical Raman spectra. Using the potential energy distribution (PED) calculation with the GAR2PED program, the assignments of the observed Raman bands to the vibrational modes were presented. Further, methamphetamine and its camouflage N-benzylisopropylamine were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy and DFT calculations, and the result showed that the obvious differences of the Raman characteristic bands for these two samples could be found so that Raman technique could be used to identify the authenticity of methamphetamine. All the above results confirm the potential of the approach involving Raman spectroscopy combined with DFT calculations in the characterization of drugs. Based on this, the experimental spectra of seized drugs measured directly through a plastic package were studied. Raman spectroscopy has the advantage of being performed through packaging without disturbing the samples. Polypropylene transparent packaging does not alter the spectra of the drugs but will mask the corresponding bands if the Raman spectrum has a strong autofluorescence interference.     

Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous particles of environmental interest

Carbonaceous particles of environmental origin are practically insoluble, which constitutes an obstacle to many chemical physical characterization techniques. Micro‐Raman spectroscopy overcomes the sample preparation step and can be applied on the as‐received sample and even in situ, with nowadays commercially available portable Raman equipment. Multivariate statistical analysis of Raman data recorded on a variety of carbonaceous particles of different origin, through a molecular interpretation of the signal, shows that the use of Raman spectroscopy with several excitation sources can provide a useful tool for assisting the characterization of various forms of environmental carbon matter. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.