Low-n Rydberg transitions of liquid ketones studied by attenuated total reflection far-ultraviolet spectroscopy

Far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectra in the 8.55-6.20 eV (145-200 nm) region were measured for several kinds of ketones in the liquid phase to investigate low-n Rydberg transitions using a uniquely developed technique of attenuated total reflection (ATR) FUV spectrometry. Assignments of the transitions are attempted for absorptions in this region by comparing the spectra for the liquid phase with those for the gas phase and ab initio calculations at the equation-of-motion coupled cluster theory with single and double substitutions at the aug-cc-pVDZ level. The transition from a nonbonding electron (n) to the 3s Rydberg orbital was found at around 6.7 eV for all investigated liquid ketones. Another intense band also appeared in the higher-energy region (ca. 8.5 eV) for all the ketones. A significant shoulder was found at around 7.4 eV for branched ketones. This shoulder band near 7.4 eV was assigned to the n-3p Rydberg transition. Band broadening and higher energy shifts were observed in the spectra of the liquid phase ketones in comparison with those of the gas phase ketones.     

Molecular orientation of azobenzene chromophores in ultrathin polymer nanosheets studied by attenuated total reflection spectroscopy

This paper describes characterization of molecular orientation for azobenzene moieties in a polymer nanosheet. Copolymers of N-[4-(phenylazo)phenyl] acrylamide (PAZoA) with tert-pentyl acrylamide (tPA) were synthesized and the monolayers deposited on tapered quartz waveguides by Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique. Spectroscopic properties of the copolymer (p(tPA/PAZoA)) monolayers were monitored by integrated optical waveguide technique on the molecular level. Molecular orientation of the azobenzene was precisely determined by polarized absorption spectra. It was found that the azobenzene groups took a horizontal orientation and distributed uniformly in the p(tPA/PAZoA) monolayer without significant PAZoA aggregation. Photoisomerization process from trans to cis form was also investigated. More than half of the trans form (60–70%) was photoisomerized under unpolarized light irradiation, and the photoisomerization rate was independent on the PAZoA contents. This implies that the microenvironment of PAZoA moieties was almost the same in three different p(tPA/PAZoA) monolayers.     

Photoassisted decomposition of malonic acid on TiO2 studied by in situ attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy

The photoassisted mineralization, i.e., conversion to CO2 and water, of malonic acid over P25 TiO2 was investigated by in situ attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy in a small volume flow-through cell. Reassignment of the vibrational bands of adsorbed malonic acid, assisted by deuterium labeling, reveals two dissimilar carboxylate groups within the molecule. This indicates adsorption via both carboxylate groups, one in a bridging or bidentate and the other in monodentate coordination. During irradiation the coverage of malonic acid strongly decreases, and oxalate is observed on the surface in at least two different adsorption modes. The major oxalate species observed during irradiation is characterized by monodentate coordination of both carboxylate groups. In the dark, however, part of these species adopts another adsorption mode, possibly interacting only with one carboxylate group. During band gap illumination a large fraction of the surface is not covered by acid. Oxalate is a major intermediate in the mineralization of malonic acid. However, the observed transient kinetics of adsorbed malonic and oxalic acid indicates additional pathways not involving oxalate. The rate constant for oxalate decomposition is slightly larger than the one for oxalate formation from malonic acid. As the oxalate is desorbing slowly from the surface its concentration in the liquid phase is small, despite the fact that it is a major intermediate in the mineralization of malonic acid.     

Exploring catalytic solid/liquid interfaces by in situ attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy

In situ attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FT-IR) spectroscopy has gained considerable attention as a powerful tool for exploring processes occurring at solid/liquid and solid/liquid/gas interfaces as encountered in heterogeneous catalysis and electrochemistry. Understanding of the molecular interactions occurring at the surface of a catalyst is not only of fundamental interest but constitutes the basis for a rational design of heterogeneous catalytic systems. Infrared spectroscopy has the exceptional advantage to provide information about structure and environment of molecules. In the last decade, in situ ATR-FT-IR has been developed rapidly and successfully applied for unraveling processes occurring at solid/liquid interfaces. Additionally, the kinetics of complex reactions can be followed by quantifying the concentration of products and reactants simultaneously in a non-destructive way. In this tutorial review we discuss some key aspects which have to be taken into account for successful application of in situ ATR-FT-IR to examine solid/liquid catalytic interfaces, including different experimental aspects concerned with the internal reflection element, catalyst deposition, cell design, and advanced experimental methods and spectrum analysis. Some of these aspects are illustrated using recent examples from our research. Finally, the potential and some limitations of ATR will be elucidated.     

The mid-infrared (attenuated total reflection) spectroscopy of ethylene carbonate in water.

Ethylene carbonate (EC) and water solution compositions ranging from pure water to 60 mass% EC have been examined using infrared (attenuated total reflection) spectroscopy. The fundamental vibrational modes of EC in the mid-infrared between 2050 and 1000 cm(-1) were fitted to mixed Lorentzian-Gaussian bandshapes. The spectral data for EC bands between 1000 and 650 cm(-1) are also shown but were not curve-fitted due to baseline distortions from water librational modes. The results of the band analysis have provided information regarding the molecular structure of these solutions, and the fact that the structure is also concentration dependent. The Fermi resonance coupling between the v2 and 2v7 vibrations of EC have been analysed using a standard perturbation model.     

Binary and ternary uranium(VI) humate complexes studied by attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy

The complexation of U(VI) with humic acid (HA) in aqueous solution has been investigated at an ionic strength of 0.1 M (NaCl) in the pH range between pH 2 and 10 at different carbonate concentrations by attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy. For the first time, the formation of binary and ternary U(VI) humate complexes was directly verified by in situ spectroscopic measurements. The complex formation constants for the binary U(VI) humate complex (UO(2)HA(II)) and for the ternary U(VI) mono hydroxo humate complex (UO(2)(OH)HA(I)) as well as the ternary U(VI) dicarbonato humate complex (UO(2)(CO(3))(2)HA(II)(4-)) determined from the spectroscopic data amount to log β(0.1 M) = 6.70 ± 0.25, log β(0.1 M) = 15.14 ± 0.25 and log β(0.1 M) = 24.47 ± 0.70, respectively, and verify literature data.     

Dielectric interlayers for increasing the transparency of metal films for mid-infrared attenuated total reflection spectroscopy

By depositing a continuous, thin metal film on a substrate coated with a mid-infrared (IR) transparent dielectric film that fulfils the role of an index-matching, anti-reflective coating for the metal, the transparency of the metal in the IR wavelength range can be significantly enhanced. This effect is used to yield enhanced absorption in attenuated total internal reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy in the presence of continuous thin metal films. The main limitation of the ATR technique when using continuous metal films is the low transparency of metals, especially for infrared light. Computations and experiments show an enhancement in the absorbance of a sample in contact with the metal at certain wavenumbers when the dielectric interlayer is present. The realisation of the setup is the stratified system consisting of zinc selenide-germanium (~1 μm)-gold (40 nm and 20 nm) using the organic solvent acetonitrile as sample. Enhancement is stronger in s- than in p-polarisation. In s-polarisation, enhancement factors of up to 4 have been observed so far in experiments, but calculations show a route to higher enhancements. In addition to the increased absorption, the absorbance spectra show interference fringes which are due to a mismatch in the real part of the refractive index of the sample in contact with the metal film compared to a reference measurement.     

IR-Dichroism of metal dithiocarbamate single crystals by attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy

Reliable assignments of most of the bands of vibrational molecular spectra suffer from ambiguous interaction of atomic displacements. Various experimental methods must be used to ascertain the assignment. By means of dichroic measurements of vibrational bands additional information can be obtained to reach this goal. Thus FT-IR ATR spectra of single crystals of Cd(DEDTC)₂ were recorded. If the molecular site with respect to the crystallographic cell is taken into account, the symmetry of certain vibrational modes can be determined.For aC _2h factor group of the monoclinic cell it is possible to distinguish betweenA _u andB _u symmetry species by the different dichroic ratios of the vibrational bands. This method supports vibrational assignment being verified by force constant refinement calculations.As a result a correlation between molecular site, symmetry and dichroic ratios of vibrational modes of single crystals is presented.     

Hygrothermal degradation of (3-glycidoxypropyl)trimethoxysilane films studied by neutron and X-ray reflectivity and attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy

Thin films of organosilanes have great technological importance in the areas of adhesion promotion, durability, and corrosion resistance. However, it is well-known that water can degrade organosilane films, particularly at elevated temperatures. In this work, X-ray and neutron reflectivity (XR and NR) were combined with attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy to study the chemical and structural changes within thin films of (3-glycidoxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GPS) after exposure for various periods of time to air saturated with either D2O or H2O at 80 degrees C. For NR and XR, ultrathin (approximately 100 A) films were prepared by spin-coating. Both D2O and H2O provide neutron scattering contrast with GPS. Variations in the neutron scattering length density (SLD) profiles (a function of mass density and atomic composition) with conditioning time were measured after drying the samples out and also swelled with H2O or D2O vapor at room temperature. For samples that were dried out prior to measurement, little or no change was observed for H2O conditioning up to 3.5 days, but large changes were observed after 30 days of conditioning. The range of conditioning time for this structural change was narrowed to between 4 and 10 days with XR. The SLD profiles indicated that the top portion of the GPS film was transformed into a thick low-density layer after conditioning, but the bottom portion showed little structural change. A previous NR study of as-prepared GPS films involving swelling with deuterated nitrobenzene showed that the central portion of the film has much lower cross-link density than the region nearest the substrate. The present data show that the central portion also swells to a much greater extent with water and hydrolyzes more rapidly. The chemical degradation mechanism was identified by IR as hydrolysis of siloxane bonds. For ATR-IR, GPS films were prepared by dip-coating, which resulted in a greater and more variable thickness than for the spin-coated samples. The IR spectra revealed an increase in vicinal silanol generation over the first 3 days of conditioning followed by geminal silanol generation. Thus, the structural change detected by NR and XR roughly coincided with the onset of geminal silanol generation. Finally, little change in the reflectivity data was observed for films conditioned with D2O at 80 degrees C for 1 month. This indicates that hydrolysis of Si-O-Si is much slower with D2O than with H2O.     

In situ monitoring of the DNA hybridization by attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy

In situ monitoring of DNA hybridization kinetics is achieved via an attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) technique using a sandwich assay structure. The synergistic enhancement effect gives this ATR-SEIRAS-based detection strategy promise to be a convenient and unique platform for bioanalysis.     

Quantitative determination of prednisone in tablets by infrared attenuated total reflection and Raman spectroscopy

The quantification of prednisone in tablets was performed using partial least squares (PLS) models based on FTIR-attenuated total reflection (ATR) and FT-Raman spectra. To compare the predictive ability of these models, the relative standard error of prediction (RSEP) values were calculated. In the case of prednisone determination from the FT-Raman data, RSEP values of 3.1 and 3.2% for the calibration and validation data sets were obtained. For FTIR-ATR models, which were constructed using five spectra for each sample, these errors amounted to 2.6 and 2.9%, respectively. Four commercial products containing 1, 5, 10, and 20 mg prednisone/tablet were quantified. Concentrations derived from the elaborated models correlated strongly with the results of reference analyses and with the declared values (in parentheses). The analyses gave recoveries of 100.0-101.6% (100.1-103.0%) and 98.1-103.2% (100.4-102.9%) for FTIR-ATR and FT-Raman data, respectively. A successful quantification of prednisolone in tablets containing 5 mg active ingredient/tablet was also performed using the PLS model, which was based on FTIR-ATR spectra, with a recovery of 99.8 (98.8%). Both reported spectroscopic techniques can be used as fast and convenient alternatives to the standard pharmacopeial methods of prednisone and prednisolone quantification in solid dosage forms. However, in the case of FTIR-ATR spectroscopy, it is necessary to repeat measurements several times to obtain sufficiently low quantification errors.     

The interaction between poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and salts in aqueous media: The “salting-out” phenomenon as studied by attenuated total reflection/fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

The effect of two strong salting-out salts (Na₂SO₄ and K₂SO₄) on the temperature-induced phase-separation process in aqueous solutions of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) was examined by attenuated total reflectance/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and viscosity measurements. On the basis of these measurements, a detailed scenario of the phase-separation process was deduced. The phase-separation scenario of solutions containing PNIPA and water was altered in the presence of sulfate ions. Here, the sulfate ions induced partial intrachain collapse, manifested by a relatively compact structure well below the lower critical solution temperature. This led to a more gradual, smooth phase transition, with temperature-resolved intrachain collapse and interchain aggregation and a lesser extent of hysteresis. Although at the macrolevel one may not be able to differentiate among various scenarios altering the solvent into a poor solvent, the aforementioned microlevel measurements provided a way to expose the difference between raising the temperature and adding cosolutes. Follow-up studies on the effect of salting-in salts will be presented. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 33–46, 2004     

Determination of the diffusion coefficient of water into atelocollagen type I thin films by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

 The diffusion coefficient of water into thin polymer layers of glutar aldehyde cross-linked atelocollagen type I matrix (sample 1, the typical layer thickness was about 0.065 × 10⁻³ m) at 23 °C was 1.142 × 10⁻¹⁰ m² s⁻¹. At twice the concentration of the cross-linking agent (sample 2) the diffusion coefficient was 2.795 × 10⁻¹⁰ m² s⁻¹. This increase was attributed to the more ordered morphology and the creation of ordered microvoids in the film. A larger surface area is then available for the transport of diffusing molecules, allowing a higher penetration rate of the solvent. Received: 11 January 2000/Accepted: 6 May 2000     

Light at the interface: the potential of attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy for understanding heterogeneous catalysis in water

IR spectroscopy has been an important tool for studying detailed interactions of reactants and reaction-intermediates with catalyst surfaces. Studying reactions in water is, however, far from trivial, due to the excessive absorption of infrared light by water. One way to deal with this is the use of Attenuated Total Reflection spectroscopy (ATR-IR) minimizing the path length of infrared light through the water. Moreover, ATR-IR allows for a direct comparison of reactions in gas and water on the same sample, which bridges the gap between separate catalyst investigations in gas and liquid phase. This tutorial review describes recent progress in using ATR-IR for studying heterogeneous catalysts in water. An overview is given of the important aspects to be taken into account when using ATR-IR to study heterogeneous catalysts in liquid phase, like the procedure to prepare stable catalyst layers on the internal reflection element. As a case study, CO adsorption and oxidation on noble metal catalysts is investigated with ATR-IR in gas and water. The results show a large effect of water and pH on the adsorption and oxidation of CO on Pt/Al(2)O(3) and Pd/Al(2)O(3). From the results it is concluded that water affects the metal particle potential as well as the adsorbed CO molecule directly, resulting in higher oxidation rates in water compared to gas phase. Moreover, also pH influences the metal particle potential with a clear effect on the observed oxidation rates. Finally, the future outlook illustrates that ATR-IR spectroscopy holds great promise in the field of liquid phase heterogeneous catalysis.     

Ex-vivo determination of blood glucose by microdialysis in combination with infrared attenuated total reflection spectroscopy

Several biosensors have been developed for continuous monitoring of human blood glucose, which is desirable for insulin-dependent diabetic patients. Developments in the field of quantitative assays using infrared attenuated total reflection spectroscopy allow the determination of metabolites at low concentrations. The microdialysis technique can provide a continuous sampling of extracellular body fluids. As only compounds of low molecular weight are passed on, infrared spectrometric quantitation is eased considerably. Samples were obtained by microdialysis of human blood plasma and aqueous glucose solutions. Multivariate calibration by partial least-squares was evaluated for its analytical performance in ex-vivo blood glucose monitoring. Mean squared prediction errors obtained by cross validation were 5.4 mg/dL for dialysate samples from different patients and 1.3 mg/ dL for dialysates from glucose solutions. Further investigations were carried out to achieve miniaturization of the measuring and detection device. Received: 5 December 1996 / Revised: 20 March 1997 / Accepted: 29 March 1997     

Ex-vivo determination of blood glucose by microdialysis in combination with infrared attenuated total reflection spectroscopy

Several biosensors have been developed for continuous monitoring of human blood glucose, which is desirable for insulin-dependent diabetic patients. Developments in the field of quantitative assays using infrared attenuated total reflection spectroscopy allow the determination of metabolites at low concentrations. The microdialysis technique can provide a continuous sampling of extracellular body fluids. As only compounds of low molecular weight are passed on, infrared spectrometric quantitation is eased considerably. Samples were obtained by microdialysis of human blood plasma and aqueous glucose solutions. Multivariate calibration by partial least-squares was evaluated for its analytical performance in ex-vivo blood glucose monitoring. Mean squared prediction errors obtained by cross validation were 5.4 mg/dL for dialysate samples from different patients and 1.3 mg/ dL for dialysates from glucose solutions. Further investigations were carried out to achieve miniaturization of the measuring and detection device.     

PH-dependent coordination of metal-lisinopril complex investigated by attenuated total reflection/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

In order to simulate the in vivo binding behavior of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors to the zinc-containing active center of ACE, the in vitro interaction between lisinopril and zinc or nickel ions was investigated in aqueous solutions of different pH by using attenuated total reflection (ATR)/Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy with second-derivative IR spectral analysis. The results indicated that the lisinopril dissociation process occurred in a stepwise fashion during increase in pH. The IR peaks at 1642 cm(-1) (carbonyl stretching of tertiary amide) and at 1582 cm(-1) (asymmetric COO- stretching) for lisinopril in solution at pH 3.5 shifted to 1606 and 1586 cm(-1) after addition of Ni2+ ions, respectively, but there was no marked changes in IR spectra of lisinopril after addition of Zn2+ ions. When the Zn2+ ions were added to lisinopril solution at pH 5.0, the peak at 1642 cm(-1) also shifted to 1604 cm(-1) and the peak at 1582 cm(-1) shifted to 1586 cm(-1), similar to the changes at pH 3.5 after adding Ni2+ ions. However, the peaks at 1582 and 1642 cm(-1) both shifted to 1599 cm(-1) after addition of Ni2+ ions at pH 5.0 or at pH 7.3. The peak at 1576 cm(-1) also shifted to 1599 cm(-1) after addition of Zn2+ ions to lisinopril solution at pH 7.3. Different coordination sites or types (chelating, bridging or pseudounidentate complex) between lisinopril and Zn2+ or Ni2+ ions were proposed, based on the separation value between v(as) (COO-) and v(s) (COO-), and the shifting of carbonyl groups. Coordination of the secondary amine in lisinopril to metal ions was also evidenced.     

Rigidity of colloidal alloys as studied by reflection spectroscopy in sedimentation equilibrium

Rigidities of colloidal alloys of binary mixtures of colloidal silica spheres (CS82; 103 nm in diameter) with larger silica spheres (CS91; 110 nm, CS121; 136 nm and CS161; 184 nm) have been measured by reflection spectroscopy in sedimentation equilibrium. Substitutional-solid-solution-type alloy structures are formed for mixtures of CS82 and CS91 and for CS82 and CS121. A superlattice, probably MgCu₂ type, is formed for CS82 and CS161 mixtures. The rigidities of the colloidal crystals of the single component of the spheres increase as the sphere size increases at the same number density of spheres. The rigidities of the colloidal alloys decrease when a comparatively small number of the larger spheres are mixed with the small spheres at the same total sphere number density. Received: 14 June 2000 Accepted: 3 November 2000     

CO adsorption and oxidation at the catalyst-water interface: an investigation by attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy

Adsorption of carbon monoxide and oxidation of preadsorbed carbon monoxide from gas and aqueous phases were studied on a platinum catalyst deposited on a ZnSe internal reflection element (IRE) using attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy. The results of this study convincingly show that it is possible to prepare platinum metal layers strongly attached to an IRE, which are stable for over 3 days in aqueous-phase experiments. It is shown that ATR-IR spectroscopy is a suitable technique to study adsorption and catalytic reactions occurring at the interface of a solid catalyst in an aqueous reaction mixture, even with an extreme low-surface-area catalyst. Clearly, ATR-IR spectroscopy allows for a direct comparison of reactions on a catalytic surface in gas and liquid phases on the same sample. CO was found to adsorb both linearly and bridged on the platinum metal layer when adsorbed from the gas phase, but only linear CO was detected in aqueous solution, although with 5 times higher intensity. Oxidation of preadsorbed CO on platinum occurs in both gas phase, wetted gas, and aqueous media and was found to be 2 times faster in the aqueous phase compared to gas-phase oxidation because of a promoting effect of water. Moreover, during oxidation at room temperature, CO2 adsorbed on Pt/ZnSe was detected in both gas and aqueous phases.     

The VUV electronic spectroscopy of acetone studied by synchrotron radiation

The electronic state spectroscopy of acetone (CH3)2CO has been investigated using high-resolution VUV photoabsorption spectroscopy in the energy range 3.7-10.8 eV. New vibronic structure has been observed, notably in the low energy absorption band assigned to the 1(1)A(1) --> 1(1)A2 (ny --> pi*) transition. The local absorption maximum at 7.85 eV has been tentatively attributed to the 4(1)A1 (pi --> pi*) transition. Six Rydberg series converging to the lowest ionisation energy (9.708 eV) have been assigned as well as a newly-resolved ns Rydberg series converging to the first ionic excited state (12.590 eV). Rydberg orbitals of each series have been classified according to the magnitude of the quantum defect (delta) and are extended to higher quantum numbers than in the previous analyses.