Fourier transform Raman microspectroscopy

Summary This paper shows some preliminary results taken with a commercially available Raman microscope which is based on the Fourier Transform Raman technique using near infrared laser sources. The micro apparatus is described and measurement examples are given. A comparison between spectra taken with the microscope and a conventional macro sample device which is usually utilized in FT-Raman spectroscopy is carried out. Furthermore the differences of FT-Raman and FT-IR microanalysis are studied on the basis of practical results received from spectral data. Limitations due to the physical properties of infrared and Raman microspectroscopy are discussed.The data partly contained in this paper were first presented at the 12th Int. Raman conference, August 1990, Columbia, S.C.Dedicated to the 60th birthday of Professor Bernhard Schrader     

Breast cancer detection by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry

Fourier transform infrared spectra of 75 biopsies from 55 cases of breast carcinoma were studied in comparison with histo-morphometry. The spectra of carcinomatous tissues are very different from those of normal tissues. There are evident correlations between the intensity of some infrared absorption bands and the volume density of malignant cells measured by optical microscopy [7]. Very high correlation coefficients are observed for phosphate monoester and phosphodiester bands; significant correlation coefficients are also observed for amide I and II bands.     

Pollen discrimination and classification by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) microspectroscopy and machine learning

The discrimination and classification of allergy-relevant pollen was studied for the first time by mid-infrared Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) microspectroscopy together with unsupervised and supervised multivariate statistical methods. Pollen samples of 11 different taxa were collected, whose outdoor air concentration during the flowering time is typically measured by aerobiological monitoring networks. Unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis provided valuable information about the reproducibility of FT-IR spectra of the same taxon acquired either from one pollen grain in a 25 × 25 μm² area or from a group of grains inside a 100 × 100 μm² area. As regards the supervised learning method, best results were achieved using a K nearest neighbors classifier and the leave-one-out cross-validation procedure on the dataset composed of single pollen grain spectra (overall accuracy 84%). FT-IR microspectroscopy is therefore a reliable method for discrimination and classification of allergenic pollen. The limits of its practical application to the monitoring performed in the aerobiological stations were also discussed. Figure Traditional and innovative methods for the identification of airborne pollen grains     

Transformation of metastable forms of acetaminophen studied by thermal Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) microspectroscopy

A novel Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) microspectroscopy equipped with a micro hot stage (thermal FT-IR microscopic system) was used to quickly study the phase transformation of acetaminophen polymorphs by a one-step process. Acetaminophen was sealed in KBr disc on the first and second heating processes under this system. The results indicate that the contour IR profile of form I acetaminophen in the first heating process changed dramatically only near 165 degrees C, but in the re-heating process exhibited a considerable alteration in peak intensity, band width and position near the temperatures at 85, 118 and 153 degrees C. A glassy form of acetaminophen was obtained after rapidly cooling the melted acetaminophen from 200 to 25 degrees C. The glassy acetaminophen was recrystallized at 85 degrees C to transform to the form III of acetaminophen in the reheating process, and then transformed to its form II near 118 degrees C. The thermal FT-IR microscopic system is a simple, quick and timesaving tool for investigation of the thermo-dependent molecular structure of acetaminophen polymorphs in the processes of recrystallization and polymorphic transition.     

Ultra-rapid-scanning Fourier transform infrared spectrometry

Several applications of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry are discussed where both conventional rapid-scanning interferometers and step-scan interferometers are unable to provide the needed information. A new interferometer is described by which it is possible to acquire interferograms with 0.25 cm optical path difference (4 cm⁻¹ spectral resolution) in less than 1 ms. The moving element of this interferometer is a tilted mirror that continuously rotates at a speed of up to 500 Hz. The performance of this spectrometer is demonstrated by examining the spark-initiated combustion of ethane and methane in air. The formation of vibrationally excited CO₂ and H₂O, with lifetimes approaching 50 ms, was observed.     

Sexing of turkey poults by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to probe the molecular composition of germinal cells and to identify the gender of turkey poults. Germinal cells obtained from a feather pulp were characterized by FT-IR micro spectroscopy. The sample set consisted of growing contour feathers from 23 male and 23 female turkey poults. Significant spectral variations were observed in the range between 1,000 and 1,250 cm⁻¹. The spectra of male turkey poults exhibit a significantly higher content of RNA than those of female turkeys. Spectral classification was performed by a non-supervised method based on the principal component analysis. An evaluation of the first and third PCs led to a classification of female and male poults with an accuracy of more than 95%.     

红外光谱法测定壳聚糖含量(英文)

采用吡喃环上的次甲基的吸收峰(1 389和2 865cm-1)面积比作为定量参照,建立了一种检测壳聚糖含量的傅立叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)分析方法,并验证了其适用性.结果表明,所建立的FT-IR分析方法可用于定量测定药物剂型中的壳聚糖含量.     

Trends in Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic imaging

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic imaging is a relatively new method that has received great attention as a new field of analytical chemistry. The greatest benefit of this technique lies in the high molecular sensitivity combined with a spatial resolution down to a few micrometers. Another advantage is the ability to probe samples under native conditions, which allows new insights into samples without the need for fixation, stains, or an additional marker. Advances in instrumentation have made FTIR spectroscopic imaging the tool of choice for an increasing number of applications. The main applications are in the bioanalytical chemistry of cells and tissue, polymers, and recently as well as in homeland security. This report gives a short overview of current developments and recent applications. Figure FTIR image of a polymer blend reveals the chemical composition. Online Abstract Figure (365 KB).     

Polarization modulation Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Polarization modulation Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy can be measured by either double modulation FTIR or interferometric modulation FTIR techniques. The principles of both techniques are presented with examples of representative measurements. The relative advantages and disadvantages of each method are compared.     

Detection of weathering in stockpiled coals by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

The process of natural oxidation of two low-rank coals exposed to the atmosphere for 11 months has been studied by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The study was carried out on samples taken at different time intervals and additionally from zones where signs of high oxidation and self-ignition were detected. The aliphatic hydrogen (3000-2800 cm⁻¹) and oxygen-containing structures (1800-1500 cm⁻¹) regions of the spectra were examined by curve-fitting analysis and a series of structural parameters based on ratios of integrated absorbance areas of curve-fitted bands were established. The aliphatic hydrogen content of samples tended to decrease with increasing time of storage and carboxyl groups only increased slightly under conditions of low pile activity. When oxidation and self-ignition processes took place, the structural changes were more significant. Aliphatic structures decreased drastically and net production of oxygen-containing structures was observed. Aliphatic hydrogen content evaluated from integrated absorbance measurements of normalized spectra and the CO/aliphatic hydrogen ratio seemed to be very sensitive in detecting signs of weathering even at very low levels of activity.     

Determination of caffeine in tea samples by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry

A sustainable and environmentally friendly procedure has been developed for the FTIR determination of caffeine in tea leaf samples. The method is based on the extraction with ammonia and CHCl3 and direct determination of caffeine on the chloroform extracts using peak height absorbance measurements at 1658.5 cm(-1) and external calibration. The method provides a sensitivity of 0.2142 absorbance units mg(-1) mL and a limit of detection of 1 mg L(-1), corresponding to 0.002% m/m caffeine in tea leaves. As compared with a reference procedure, based on UV absorbance measurement at 276 nm after low pressure column chromatography, the developed procedure reduces the consume of CHCl3 by a factor of 10, that of NH4OH by a factor of 20 and avoids the use of diethyl ether and Celite. The time required to do the analysis of a sample is 15 minutes as compared with the 6 hours for the reference one.     

Fourier transform infrared analysis of paint solvents

The composition of solvent mixtures employed in the paint industry was determined by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. A procedure based on the use of the ratio between the absorbance of characteristic bands of each component permits the ratio between two solvents in a binary mixture to be determined, independently of the thickness of the sample film. Typical mixtures of xylol with butan-1-ol and with butyl acetate (xylol=mixture of o-, m- and p-xylenes) were used as model systems to develop the proposed procedure and the accuracy was determined using synthetic formulations. Another possible application of the procedure is the characterization of azeotropic mixtures.     

Fourier transform infrared spectrometric determination of Ziram

A procedure has been developed for vapour-phase Fourier transform infrared determination of Ziram, a dithiocarbamate pesticide. The method is based on the evolution of CS₂, after decomposition of the dithiocarbamate with diluted H₂SO₄ at 50°C. The CS₂ evolved was swept by a carrier flow of nitrogen to a laboratory-made infrared gas cell of 39 mm pathlength and 490 μl volume. The signals were registered as a function of time. The area of peaks obtained from absorbance measurement in the wavenumber range between 1600 and 1450 cm⁻¹ were interpolated in a calibration line established from Ziram standards treated in the same way as samples. The method provided an absolute limit of detection of 0.055 mg, a variation coefficient of the order of 6% for an analyte mass of 50 mg, and an analysis time of 3.5 min.     

Preparation of dimethoxyborane and analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Dimethoxyborane was prepared by the reaction of trimethoxyboroxine, sodium borohydride and trimethyl borate in diethylene glycol dimethyl ether solvent at 70°C under atmospheric pressure followed by distillation to increase the purity and analyzed in liquid phase by FT-IR. The concentration of dimethoxyborane was identified by hydrolysis with water, which yields boric acid, methanol and hydrogen, whereas the generated hydrogen was analyzed by the mass detector of a volumetric flow apparatus. The FT-IR absorbance peak area showed a linear dependence on dimethoxyborane concentration in the wavenumber range 873 to 950 cm⁻¹ for samples with dimethoxyborane concentrations 0 to 6.2 wt% in trimethyl borate. Data fitting using the least square method gave an R ² value of 97%.     

Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy as a bacterial source tracking tool to discriminate fecal E. coli strains

The aim of this work was to use the FT-IR microspectroscopy technique, a union of a FT-IR spectrometer with a microscope, to discriminate fecal Escherichia coli strains from cows, chickens and humans and to compare the efficiency of this method with the genomic fingerprinting method, BOX-PCR. The obtained BOX-PCR profiles were able to correctly discriminate 93.75% of the chicken strains, 80% of the cow strains and 65% of the human strains. An efficient PLS-DA model was developed, using orthogonal signal correction and the second derivate of the FT-IR spectra. This model allowed the correct discrimination, according to the animal source, of all the E. coli strains analyzed. The bands in the FT-IR spectra that were responsible for the strains discrimination were in the region between 2816 and 3026 cm⁻¹ wavenumber, described as fatty acids. It was demonstrated that FT-IR microspectroscopy can be a suitable tool for fecal E. coli discrimination, because it is fast, easy to carry out and presents a flexible discrimination power.     

Spectroscopic interferences in Fourier transform infrared wine analysis

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry has brought many advantages to wine analysis, such as fast analysis and good precision and accuracy for a great number of parameters. This technology has to be cautiously applied, therefore the need for analytical validation. Recovery results of several current wine control parameters using a FTIR wine analyser were determined. Good results were obtained for ethanol (addition of ethanol), total acid (addition of tartaric acid), total sugars in sweet wines (addition of glucose) and sulfate (addition of sulfuric acid). On the contrary, worse results were obtained for total acid (addition of acetic and sulfuric acids), volatile acid (addition of acetic acid) and total sugars in dry wines (addition of glucose). These findings can be explained by spectroscopic interferences that were also a subject of analysis in this work. In fact, ethanol, organic acids and other compounds, present in high concentrations in wine, can produce major interferences in the analysis for compounds such as volatile acid and sugars in dry wines, when their strong infrared absorption bands do not differ significantly from other abundant compounds.     

Dynamic Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in polymer research

The rapid-scanning capability of FTIR instrumentation has revitalized the field of vibrational spectroscopy in polymer research and will be discussed with reference to the study of polyurethane kinetics, the temperature dependence of hydrogen bonding in polyamide 6 and strain-induced crystallization in a polydimethylsiloxane elastomer.