Applied Spectroscopy

Spectroscopists' Calendar is a regular feature in Applied Spectroscopy. Your cooperation in submitting timely information for the column is appreciated. For publication in one issue of Applied Spectroscopy, send information no less than four months in advance of the actual event. Please send announcements of meetings and symposia of interest to spectroscopists to Mary Carrabba, via e-mail: carrabba@rrslabs.com. Announcements of short courses, schools, workshops or other educational activities should be sent to the SAS office at sasadmin@s-a-s.org for inclusion online, and in the journal and newsletter.

WHAT'S NEW is provided as a service for our readers. It contains the latest news on the products, catalogs, tips, and supplies that manufacturers elect to highlight. Publication in WHAT'S NEW does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the Society for Applied Spectroscopy or the column editor. Contributions to WHAT'S NEW should be sent to Applied Spectroscopy, What's New Editor, 5320 Spectrum Drive, Suite C, Frederick, MD 21703 (Fax 301-694-6860; e-mail office@s-a-s.org). Although there is no charge to submit materials, preference is given to Applied Spectroscopy advertisers. Call 913-712-8686 for questions regarding advertising.

Applied Spectroscopy News is a monthly feature in the journal. It includes information from the Society for Applied Spectroscopy, news from other societies and institutions, announcements of meetings, schools, or other activities, and reports of symposia from recent conferences. If you have news items, a meeting announcement, or a report from a symposium that would be of interest to readers of Applied Spectroscopy, contact David J. Butcher, Applied Spectroscopy News Editor, 340C Stillwell Science Building, 246 Central Drive, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723, Ph: (828) 227-7646, email: david.butcher@analytchem.org.

Visible near-infrared (Vis-NIR) reflection spectroscopy and mid-infrared (mid-IR) reflection spectroscopy are cost- and time-effective and environmentally friendly techniques that could be alternatives to conventional soil analysis methods. Successful determination of spectrally active soil components, including soil organic matter (SOM), depends on the selection of suitable pretreatment and multivariate calibration techniques. The objective of the present review is to critically examine the suitability of Vis-NIR (350–2500 nm) and mid-IR (4000–400 cm⁻¹) spectroscopy as a tool for SOM quantity and quality determination. Particular attention is paid to different pretreatment and calibration procedures and methods, and their ability to predict SOM content from Vis-NIR and mid-IR data is discussed. We then review the most recent research using spectroscopy in different calibration scales (local, regional, or global). Finally, accuracy and robustness, as well as uncertainty in Vis-NIR and mid-IR spectroscopy, are considered. We conclude that spectroscopy, especially the mid-IR technique in association with Savitzky–Golay smoothing and derivatization and the least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) algorithm, can be useful in determining SOM quantity and quality. Future research conducted for the standardization of protocols and soil conditions will allow more accurate and reliable results on a global and international scale.

A new method for discrimination analysis of adulterated milk and pure milk is proposed by combining two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) with kernel orthogonal projection to latent structure (K-OPLS). Three adulteration types of milk with urea, melamine, and glucose were prepared, respectively. The synchronous 2D spectra of adulterated milk and pure milk samples were calculated. Based on the characteristics of 2D correlation spectra of adulterated milk and pure milk, a discriminant model of urea-tainted milk, melamine-tainted milk, glucose-tainted milk, and pure milk was built by K-OPLS. The classification accuracy rates of unknown samples were 85.7, 92.3, 100, and 87.5%, respectively. The results show that this method has great potential in the rapid discrimination analysis of adulterated milk and pure milk.

Two thermoelectrically cooled mid-infrared distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers operated in pulsed mode have been used for the quasi-simultaneous determination of NO and NO₂ in the sub-parts per million meter (sub-ppm-m) range. Using a beam splitter, the beams of the two lasers were combined and sent to a retro-reflector. The returned light was recorded with a thermoelectrically cooled mercury cadmium telluride detector with a rise time of 4 ns. Alternate operation of the lasers with pulse lengths of 300 ns and a repetition rate of 66 kHz allowed quasi-simultaneous measurements. During each pulse the laser temperature increased, causing a thermal chirp of the laser line of up to 1.3 cm⁻¹. These laser chirps were sufficient to scan rotational bands of NO centered at 1902 cm⁻¹ and NO₂ located at 1632 cm⁻¹. In that way an absorption spectrum could be recorded from a single laser pulse. Currently achieved limits of detection are 600 parts per billion meter (ppb-m) for NO and 260 ppb-m for NO₂ using signal averaging over 1 min. This work presents the first steps toward a portable stand-off, open-path instrument that uses thermoelectrically cooled detector and lasers.

A case study on a contemporary Indian miniature was carried out through the application of different spectroscopic techniques. Painting support, pigments, and dyes were largely characterized by means of energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence and Raman microspectroscopy directly on the artwork. Regarding golden motifs and silvered areas, for which these techniques have not provided enough information, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy was used as a complementary technique. The painting support was identified as the Bombyx mori silk. Among the colorant matters, several pigments were identified such as chrome yellow, lithopone, hematite, lamp black, mica-titania pearlescent pigment, and tin-based metallic silver, and dyes such as phthalocyanine blue and the recent synthetic pigment red PR9 naphthol AS. All this materials will provide evidence in the support of the contemporary production of the artwork for future studies.

The liver performs various functions, such as the production and detoxification of chemicals; therefore, it is susceptible to hepatotoxins such as carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄), which causes chronic injury. Thus, assessment of injury and its status of severity are of prime importance. Current work reports an ex vivo study for probing the severance of hepatic injury induced by CCl₄ with polarized light over the spectral range 400–800 nm. Different concentrations of CCl₄ were used to induce varying severity of hepatic injury in a rat model. Linear retardance, depolarization rates, and diagonal Mueller matrix elements (m₂₂, m₃₃, and m₄₄), were successfully used as the distinguishing criterion for normal and different liver injuries. Our results show that linear retardance for injured liver samples with lower doses of CCl₄ tends to increase when compared with normal liver samples, while samples injured at higher doses of CCl₄ offer almost no retardance. Total, linear, and circular depolarizations follow decreasing trends with increased liver injury severity over the entire investigated wavelength range. Linear polarization states were observed to be better maintained as compared to circular polarization states for all samples. Furthermore, numerical values of diagonal elements of the experimentally measured Mueller matrix also increase with increasing doses of CCl₄. Liver fibroses, change in transport albedo, and the relative refractive index of the extracellular matrix caused by CCl₄ are responsible for the observed differences. These results will provide a pathway to gauge the severity of injury caused by toxic chemicals.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficiency of two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) in recognizing the authenticity and purity of fishmeal (FM) and meat and bone meal (MBM), which are both complex mixtures with high similarity. Twenty FM samples and 20 MBM samples were obtained and examined. Temperature-dependent near-infrared (NIR) spectra were obtained using a Spectrum 400 spectrometer from 20 °C to 60 °C with an interval of 10 °C. Wavelet transform (Daubechies 5 wavelet with five levels) and baseline correction were applied to the temperature-dependent spectra in the wave range of 6000–5400 cm⁻¹. A 2D-COS synchronous map was calculated and scaled to the range between −1 and 1. A correlation coefficient was employed to quantitatively evaluate the visual differences of synchronous maps. The results show minor differences in NIR spectral absorbency of FM and MBM, and such differences are caused by appropriate temperature perturbation and enlarged by the 2D-COS method. The sensitive wave range is found in the area of 5800–5400 cm⁻¹. FM and MBM have observable pattern differences in the synchronous maps. Further quantitative evaluation of synchronous maps confirms correct recognizing results. Temperaturedependent 2D-COS is capable of recognizing the authenticity and purity of highly similar FM and MBM samples.

On-site identification of organic compounds in the presence of interfering materials using a field-portable attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectrometer is presented. Identification is based on an algorithm that compares the analyte's infrared absorption spectrum with the reference spectra. The comparison is performed at several predetermined frequencies, and a similarity value (distance) between the measured and the reference spectra is calculated either at each frequency individually, or, alternatively, the average distance for all frequencies is calculated. The examined frequencies are selected to give the best contrast between the target materials of interest. In this study, the algorithm was optimized to identify three common chemical warfare agents (CWAs): O-ethyl S-[2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl] methylphosphonothioic acid (VX), sarin (GB), and sulfur mustard (bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide) (HD), in the presence of field-related interfering materials (fuels, water, and dust). Receiver operating characteristics analysis was performed in order to determine the probabilities for detection (PD) and for false alerts (PF). Challenging the algorithm with a set of data that contains mixtures of CWAs and interfering materials resulted in PD of 90% and PF of 0%, 0%, and 1% for VX, GB, and HD, respectively, using the average distance approach, which was found to be much more effective than analyzing each frequency individually. This finding was validated for all possible combinations of 2–7 peaks per material. It is suggested that this algorithm provides a reliable mean for the identification of a predetermined set of target analytes and interfering materials.

When several near-infrared instruments are used in a network and a common chemometric model is applied to spectral processing, comparison of the instruments is indispensable. Direct transferability often claimed by the producers should be treated with caution. It has been found experimentally that when measurements are performed with the help of a fiber optic probe, the main source of spectral discrepancy is related to probe sensitivity in contactless measurements. Here the influence of the probe-to-object distance on the acquired spectra is analyzed in detail. Special experimental setups are proposed to isolate various strongly influencing factors and to maintain stable measurement conditions. The application of an artificial standard instead of real-world objects helps to focus on the instrument/accessory characteristics.

This paper describes the application of Raman spectroscopy to whole hair fibers. Previously this has proved difficult because the hairs are relatively opaque, and spatial resolution diminishes with depth because of the change in refractive index. A solution is to couple confocal Raman with multivariate curve resolution (MCR) data analysis, which separates spectral differences with depth despite this reduction in resolution. Initially, it is shown that the cuticle can be separated from the cortex, showing the differences in the proteins, which can then be plotted as a function of depth, with the cuticle factor being seen only at the surface as expected. Hairs that had been treated in different ways, e.g., by bleaching, treatment with the active molecule resorcinol followed by rinsing and treatment with a full hair care product, were also examined. In all cases, changes to the hair are identified and are associated with specific parts of the fiber. Since the hair fiber is kept intact, it can be repeatedly treated and measured, hence multistep treatment processes can be followed. This method expands the potential use of Raman spectroscopy in hair research.

Amyloids are self-assembled protein structures implicated in a host of neurodegenerative diseases. Organisms can also produce “functional amyloids” to perpetuate life, and these materials serve as models for robust biomaterials. Amyloids are typically studied using fluorescent dyes, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), or Raman spectroscopy analysis of the protein amide I region, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) because the self-assembled β-sheet secondary structure of the amyloid can be easily identified with these techniques. Here, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy analyses are described to characterize amyloid structures beyond just identification of the β-sheet structure. It has been shown that peptide mixtures can self-assemble into nanometer-sized amyloid structures that then continue to self-assemble to the micrometer scale. The resulting structures are flat tapes of low rigidity or cylinders of high rigidity depending on the peptides in the mixture. By monitoring the aggregation of peptides in solution using FT-IR spectroscopy, it is possible to identify specific amino acids implicated in β-sheet formation and higher order self-assembly. It is also possible to predict the final tape or cylinder morphology and gain insight into the structure's physical properties based on observed intermolecular interactions during the self-assembly process. Tapes and cylinders are shown to both have a similar core self-assembled β-sheet structure. Soft tapes also have weak hydrophobic interactions between alanine, isoleucine, leucine, and valine that facilitate self-assembly. Rigid cylinders have similar hydrophobic interactions that facilitate self-assembly and also have extensive hydrogen bonding between glutamines. Raman spectroscopy performed on the dried tapes and fibers shows the persistence of these interactions. The spectroscopic analyses described could be generalized to other self-assembling amyloid systems to explain property and morphological differences.

We present a novel methodology to simultaneously monitor of the degree of cure and curing shrinkage of thermosetting formulations. This methodology is based on the observation of changes in the infrared absorption of reactive functional groups and the groups used as a standard reference for normalization. While the optical path length is exact and controlled in transmission infrared spectroscopy, in attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR), the exact determination of volume changes requires the measurement of the refractive indices of the studied system throughout the curing process or at least an indirect parallel measurement of this property. The methodology presented here allows one to achieve quantitative measurements of the degree of cure and shrinkage for thermosets using in situ ATR FT-IR spectroscopy.

Ceramizable (ceramifiable) silicone rubber–based composites are commonly used for cable insulation. These materials are able to create a protective ceramic layer during fire due to the ceramization process, which occurs at high temperature. When the temperature is increased, the polymer matrix is degraded and filler particles stick together by the fluxing agent, producing a solid, continuous ceramic phase that protects the copper wire from heat and mechanical stress. Despite increasing interest in these materials that has resulted in growing applications in the cable industry, their thermal behavior and ceramization process are still insufficiently described in the literature. In this paper, the thermal behavior of ceramizable silicone rubber–based composites is studied using microcalorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The analysis of the experimental data made it possible to develop complete information on the mechanism of composite ceramization.

This study was carried out to evaluate a new high-speed hyperspectral near-infrared (NIR) camera named Compovision. Quantitative analyses of the crystallinity and crystal evolution of biodegradable polymer, polylactic acid (PLA), and its concentration in PLA/poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) blends were investigated using near-infrared (NIR) imaging. This NIR camera can measure two-dimensional NIR spectral data in the 1000–2350 nm region obtaining images with wide field of view of 150 × 250 mm² (approximately 100 000 pixels) at high speeds (in less than 5 s). PLA with differing crystallinities between 0 and 50% blended samples with PHB in ratios of 80/20, 60/40, 40/60, 20/80, and pure films of 100% PLA and PHB were prepared. Compovision was used to collect respective NIR spectra in the 1000–2350 nm region and investigate the crystallinity of PLA and its concentration in the blends. The partial least squares (PLS) regression models for the crystallinity of PLA were developed using absorbance, second derivative, and standard normal variate (SNV) spectra from the most informative region of the spectra, between 1600 and 2000 nm. The predicted results of PLS models achieved using the absorbance and second derivative spectra were fairly good with a root mean square error (RMSE) of less than 6.1% and a determination of coefficient (R ² ) of more than 0.88 for PLS factor 1. The results obtained using the SNV spectra yielded the best prediction with the smallest RMSE of 2.93% and the highest R ² of 0.976. Moreover, PLS models developed for estimating the concentration of PLA in the blend polymers using SNV spectra gave good predicted results where the RMSE was 4.94% and R ² was 0.98. The SNV-based models provided the best-predicted results, since it can reduce the effects of the spectral changes induced by the inhomogeneity and the thickness of the samples. Wide area crystal evolution of PLA on a plate where a temperature slope of 70–105 °C had occurred was also monitored using NIR imaging. An SNV-based image gave an obvious contrast of the crystallinity around the crystal growth area according to slight temperature change. Moreover, it clarified the inhomogeneity of crystal evolution over the significant wide area. These results have proved that the newly developed hyperspectral NIR camera, Compovision, can be successfully used to study polymers for industrial processes, such as monitoring the crystallinity of PLA and the different composition of PLA/PHB blends.

Raman excitation profiles of several normal modes of 2-benzoylpyridine were measured, and the structural changes encountered on excitations, excited state symmetries, and vibronic couplings among various excited electronic states of the molecule were investigated. Vibrational spectroscopic studies of the molecule were done in detail, and critical investigation on the electronic spectra of the molecule was also carried out. It is shown that the experimentally allowed transitions, corresponding to the band around 262 and 238 nm, occur to the excited states, where the major geometry changes involve both ring CC/CN and CO stretching vibrations. An excited state lying around 185 nm above the ground state was also found to play an important role in the scattering process. All necessary and valuable quantum chemical calculations accompany the presented spectral studies.

In vivo confocal Raman spectroscopy has become the measurement technique of choice for skin health and skin care related communities as a way of measuring functional chemistry aspects of skin that are key indicators for care and treatment of various skin conditions. Chief among these techniques are stratum corneum water content, a critical health indicator for severe skin condition related to dryness, and natural moisturizing factor components that are associated with skin protection and barrier health. In addition, in vivo Raman spectroscopy has proven to be a rapid and effective method for quantifying component penetration in skin for topically applied skin care formulations. The benefit of such a capability is that noninvasive analytical chemistry can be performed in vivo in a clinical setting, significantly simplifying studies aimed at evaluating product performance. This presumes, however, that the data and analysis methods used are compatible and appropriate for the intended purpose. The standard analysis method used by most researchers for in vivo Raman data is ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. The focus of work described in this paper is the applicability of OLS for in vivo Raman analysis with particular attention given to use for non-ideal data that often violate the inherent limitations and deficiencies associated with proper application of OLS. We then describe a newly developed in vivo Raman spectroscopic analysis methodology called multivariate curve resolution-augmented ordinary least squares (MCR-OLS), a relatively simple route to addressing many of the issues with OLS. The method is compared with the standard OLS method using the same in vivo Raman data set and using both qualitative and quantitative comparisons based on model fit error, adherence to known data constraints, and performance against calibration samples. A clear improvement is shown in each comparison for MCR-OLS over standard OLS, thus supporting the premise that the MCR-OLS method is better suited for general-purpose multicomponent analysis of in vivo Raman spectral data. This suggests that the methodology is more readily adaptable to a wide range of component systems and is thus more generally applicable than standard OLS.

Water is ubiquitous in the mouths of healthy individuals and is a major interfering factor in the development of a durable seal between the tooth and composite restoration. Water leads to the formation of a variety of defects in dentin adhesives; these defects undermine the tooth–composite bond. Our group recently analyzed phase partitioning of dentin adhesives using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The concentration measurements provided by HPLC offered a more thorough representation of current adhesive performance and elucidated directions to be taken for further improvement. The sample preparation and instrument analysis using HPLC are, however, time-consuming and labor-intensive. The objective of this work was to develop a methodology for rapid, reliable, and accurate quantitative analysis of near-equilibrium phase partitioning in adhesives exposed to conditions simulating the wet oral environment. Analysis by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy in combination with multivariate statistical methods, including partial least squares (PLS) regression and principal component regression (PCR), were used for multivariate calibration to quantify the compositions in separated phases. Excellent predictions were achieved when either the hydrophobic-rich phase or the hydrophilic-rich phase mixtures were analyzed. These results indicate that FT-IR spectroscopy has excellent potential as a rapid method of detection and quantification of dentin adhesives that experience phase separation under conditions that simulate the wet oral environment.

A stable liquid/liquid optical waveguide (LLW) was formed using a sheath flow, where a 15% sodium chloride (NaCl) solution functioned as the core solution and water functioned as the cladding solution (15% NaCl/water LLW). The LLW was at least 200 mm in length. The concentration distributions of the liquid core and liquid cladding solutions in the LLW system were predicted by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to validate the characteristics of the waveguide. The broadening of the region of the fluorescence of Rhodamine B excited by the guided light and the increase in the critical angle of the guided light with the increase in the contact time of the core and the cladding solutions were well explained by CFD calculations. However, no substantial leakage of the guided light was observed despite the considerably large change in the refractive index profile of the LLW; thus, a narrower and longer waveguide was realized.