Spectroscopy instructs scientists, technicians, and laboratory managers in the efficient, productive use of spectroscopic instruments, and promotes the acceptance of spectroscopy as a practical analytical technology in industry and life science. We serve subscribers by publishing a highly focused editorial product that combines peer-reviewed scientific articles with practical, solutions-based information, helping them to become better spectroscopists whether they work in the laboratory, on the process line, or in the field. |  |
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| Trace Element Analysis of Heavy Metals in Pharmaceutical Materials
| One of the most common product safety-related analytical tests in the pharmaceutical industry (often referred to as a Limit Test) is the quantification of heavy metals or inorganics in all materials within a pharmaceutical product. | | | Preparation of Polymers for XRF
| | It is shown that the Retsch CryoMill polymers are ground to a significantly smaller fineness compared to other methods. Especially for inhomogeneous materials, small particles are the key for a high reproducibility. | | | The New Orbis Micro-XRF Analyzer Series
| | Building on more than 10 years of Micro-XRF experience, the Orbis spectrometer yields a system with excellent Micro-XRF capability while setting a new standard in analytical flexibility. The Orbis incorporates a unique motorized turret integrating video and X-ray optics allowing coaxial sample view and X-ray analysis. The turret can accommodate two additional collimators along with the X-ray optic for a total of three X-ray beam sizes to expand the Orbis analytical capabilities beyond traditional Micro-XRF analysis. Primary beam filters can be used with all spot sizes available on the turret to allow true XRF analytical capabilities in a micro-spot analysis. The working distance is increased to allow analysis over rougher sample topography without sacrificing signal intensity. | | | The Analysis of Low Level Sulfur in Biodiesel According to ASTM D2622
| | Global warming is seen as a growing problem across the world. One of the major contributing factors to global warming is greenhouse gas emissions and particulates emitted from automobiles. In an attempt to control the particulate emissions from motor vehicles, limits have been placed on the amount of elements such as Sulfur allowed in automotive fuels. Currently in the US, the EPA tier 2 regulations have set the limit for S in road fuels (Gasoline, Diesel and Biodiesel) at 150 ppm. | | | Analysis of Impurities in Silver by Spark Ablation Sampling, Combined with ICP-OES
| | A method for the determination of elemental impurities in solid silver samples was developed using a spark ablation accessory in combination with ICP-OES. Detection limits at the sub-ppm level were achieved along with good accuracy and precision. | | | Simplifying Measurement of D/H and 18O/16O Isotopic Ratios from Liquid Water by WS-CRDS
| | Wavelength-Scanned Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy combines the real-time speed and turnkey simplicity of optical spectroscopy with the precision (<0.1 δ18O [‰], < 0.5 δD [‰]) previously only available from complex IRMS systems. | | | Optimized Long-Term Stability for Enhanced Laboratory Productivity with ICP
| | The factors that affect the long-term stability of ICP instruments are discussed and details of the performance of the Thermo Scientific iCAP 6000 Series for extended period analyses are given. | | | Advantages of Silicon Drift Detectors
| | The availability of new silicon drift detectors (SDD) allows for more precise measurements in less acquisition time. SDDs are often praised for their excellent energy resolution, but it is their increased throughput that make them ideal for many industrial applications. Due to the detector's smaller capacitance, a much shorter peaking time is used in the shaping amplifier without sacrificing resolution. This dramatically increases the throughput of the system. Compared with a conventional Si-PIN detector where the peaking time is as long as 25 ms, the drift detector operates at 1.6 ms, thereby increasing throughput from 10,000 counts per second to over 100,000. This advantage can be used in two primary ways. | | | Oil-Trace: Analysis of Sulfur in Fuels, Biofuels, and Mixtures Using a
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| Matching Filters to Fluorophores for In Vitro Diagnostics
| | Diagnostic instruments such as blood analyzers and flow cytometers utilize induced fluorescence to detect bio-factors of interest in a heterogeneous sample. | | | Dangerous Toys: Rigid Testing Routines Required to Assure Our Children's Safety
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| | Ocean Optics, Inc. | | | The Importance of Using Correct Sampling Procedures in Obtaining
| | Retsch, Inc. | | | Low-Frequency and Stokes-Antistoke Raman Measurements Using TriVista
| | R. Shafer, O. Rohm, Spectroscopy & Imaging GMBH; D. Koulikov, A. O?Grady, Princeton Instruments/Acton Research | | | Measurement of the Spectroscopic Properties of Optical Components for CD-DVD Players Using the Microsample Measurement Accessory
| | Stephen T. Watts, Kazuyo Miura, and Takayuki Wakui, Hitachi High Technologies America, Inc. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| The Spectral Lines of Hydrogen
| | A short history of the early scientific developments related to the optical emission lines of hydrogen is presented. These were crucial to the development of the quantum theory. Balmer's empirical formula was an important milestone. Rydberg and others provided additional work, especially for higher atomic numbers. However, it remained for Bohr to provide the physical reasoning. | | | Spectroscopy Is Applied Quantum Mechanics, Part III: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics
| | Columnist David W. Ball discusses the pioneering work of Erwin Schrodinger, whose work on wave mechanics forms the basis of the modern understanding of subatomic behavior. | | | A Picture of Pentacene
| | Scientists from IBM Research used an atomic force microscope to create the first-ever close-up image of a single molecule. | | | Software Features to Improve Quality Control and Data Validation in the Inorganic Laboratory
| | One of the most difficult tasks in any laboratory is the validation and assurance of all data being reported. Whether or not this is being mandated by a regulating agency, it is imperative that the quality of data from any analysis be controlled. How do the laboratory workers ensure the quality of their reported analyses and how do they demonstrate this quality? | | | Universal Quantification — The Uncelebrated Strength of ICP-MS
| | Guest columnist Steven Wilbur discusses the elemental nature of ICP-MS and its strength as a universal quantifier, an aspect of the technique he believes has not received enough attention. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Miniature Optical Spectrometers: Follow the Money Part II: The Telecommunications Boom
| | The author examines NIR spectrometers and the technologies developed during the telecommunications boom of the late 1990s, focusing on miniaturized optical techniques generally called MOEMS. | | | FT-IR–Raman Combination: The Perfect Analytical Solution for Vibrational Spectroscopists
| | The authors discuss the combined use of Raman and FT-IR spectroscopy in fields such as forensic science, biomedical science, catalysis, and polymers. | | | New Technique for Detection of Carbon Nanotubes in the Body
| | New research being conducted at the University of Arkansas is demonstrating that Raman spectroscopy can be used to detect and monitor circulating carbon nanotubes in vivo and in real time. | | | Mass Spectrometry and Glial Cells
| | Using a new mass spectrometry technique and stem cells that can be made to produce either neurons or glial cells, a team of researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies (La Jolla, California) identified a molecular signaling pathway that is required for the production of glial cells, yielding insight into the neurobiology of Down?s syndrome and several nervous system disorders characterized by too many glial cells. | | | Probing the Structural Effects of Pasteurization and Spray Drying on Soy Protein Isolate in the Presence of Trehalose Using FT-IR-ATR and FT-Raman Spectroscopy
| | The authors present the results of a study in which FT-IR-ATR and FT-Raman spectrosopies were used to probe the effects of pasteurization and spray drying on the secondary structure of soy protein isolate. | | | Surface-Enhanced Nanosensors
| | January 2007. This review article summarizes biological applications that utilize surface plasmon resonance, localized surface plasmon resonance, and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. | |
| Analysis of Volatile Bacterial Metabolites by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
| | Here the authors describe a new method for the identification of key volatile organic compound markers using mass spectrometry combined with gas chromatography. | | | Measurement of Metabolic Stability Using SIM and Identification of Metabolites by Data-Dependent full-Scan MS-MS and CNL Scanning
| | In this article, the role of a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer in performing in vitro studies of compound metabolic stability and identification of Phase I and II metabolites is demonstrated. | | | ICP-MS Speciation Analysis: Three Roles of Selenium
| | The element selenium plays three distinct roles in biological processes, functioning in turn as a toxicant, a chemopreventive agent, and a heavy metal antagonist. This article discusses current research associated with each role, and how ICP-MS can be employed to better understand and utilize selenium's properties. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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Book Review
| | This book makes serious efforts to include examples of the various ways in which information about the underlying behavior of a system can be extracted from data obtained from the system. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Statistics and Chemometrics for Clinical Data Reporting, Part I
| | This article describes the application of chemometric methods and statistics for reporting clinical quantitative measurement methods. The equations and terminology are consistent with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. These chemometric and statistical methods describe the accuracy and precision of a test method compared to a reference method for a single analyte determination. Part I will introduce these concepts and Part II will discuss the statistical underpinnings in greater detail. | | | The Long, Complicated, Tedious, and Difficult Route to Principal Components: Coda
| | Columnists Howard Mark and Jerome Workman, Jr. take a final look at the topic of principal components, which has been the subject of six previous installments. | | | The Long, Complicated, Tedious, and Difficult Route to Principal Components: Part VI
| | This column is a continuation of the set we have been working on to explain and derive the equations behind principal components (1–5). As we usually do, when we continue the discussion of a topic through more than one column, we continue the numbering of equations from where we left off. | | | The Long, Complicated, Tedious, and Difficult Route to Principal Components: Part V
| | For a system of homogeneous equations to have a solution other than the trivial solution, the determinant of the system of equations must be zero. | | | The Long, Complicated, Tedious, and Difficult Route to Principal Components: Part III
| | Howard Mark and Jerome Workman, Jr. continue their discussion of the derivation of the principal component algorithm using elementary algebra. | | |
The Long, Complicated, Tedious, and Difficult Route to Principal Components: Part II
| | Howard Mark and Jerome Workman, Jr. continue their discussion of the derivation of the principal component algorithm using elementary algebra. | | | The Long, Complicated, Tedious, and Difficult Route to Principal Components: Part I
| | In this month's installment, columnists Howard Mark and Jerome Workman, Jr. present the derivation of the principal component algorithm using elementary algebra. | | | Addendum to Chemometrics in Spectroscopy
| | This column is the continuation of a series (1-5) dealing with the rigorous derivation of the expressions relating the effect of instrument (and other) noise to its effects on the spectra we observe. Our first column in this series was an overview. While subsequent columns dealt with other types of noise sources, the ones listed analyzed the effect of noise on spectra when the noise is constant detector noise (that is, noise that is independent of the strength of the optical signal). Inasmuch as we are dealing with a continuous series of columns, on this branch in the thread of the discussion, we again continue the equation numbering and use of symbols as though there were no break. The immediately previous column (5) was the first part of this set of updates of the original columns. | | | Limitations in Analytical Accuracy, Part II: Theories to Describe the Limits in Analytical Accuracy and Comparing Test Results for Analytical Uncertainty
| | In the second part of this series, columnists Jerome Workman, Jr. and Howard Mark continue their discussion of the limitations of analytical accuracy and uncertainty. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Classical Least Squares, Part II: Mathematical Theory Continued
| | The authors continue their discussion of the classical least squares approach to calibration. | | | Classical Least Squares, Part I: Mathematical Theory
| | In this month's installment of "Chemometrics in Spectroscopy," the authors begin a new subseries with the goal of explaining the classical least squares algorithm. | | | Statistics and Chemometrics for Clinical Data Reporting, Part III: Using Excel for Data Plotting
| | This installment of "Chemometrics in Spectroscopy" illustrates the various graphical ways used to observe and interpret comparative clinical quantitative measurement methods. | | | Statistics and Chemometrics for Clinical Data Reporting, Part I
| | This article describes the application of chemometric methods and statistics for reporting clinical quantitative measurement methods. The equations and terminology are consistent with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. These chemometric and statistical methods describe the accuracy and precision of a test method compared to a reference method for a single analyte determination. Part I will introduce these concepts and Part II will discuss the statistical underpinnings in greater detail. | | | The Long, Complicated, Tedious, and Difficult Route to Principal Components: Coda
| | Columnists Howard Mark and Jerome Workman, Jr. take a final look at the topic of principal components, which has been the subject of six previous installments. | | | The Long, Complicated, Tedious, and Difficult Route to Principal Components: Part VI
| | This column is a continuation of the set we have been working on to explain and derive the equations behind principal components (1–5). As we usually do, when we continue the discussion of a topic through more than one column, we continue the numbering of equations from where we left off. | | | The Long, Complicated, Tedious, and Difficult Route to Principal Components: Part V
| | For a system of homogeneous equations to have a solution other than the trivial solution, the determinant of the system of equations must be zero. | | | The Long, Complicated, Tedious, and Difficult Route to Principal Components: Part IV
| | Howard Mark and Jerome Workman, Jr. continue their discussion of the derivation of the principal component algorithm using elementary algebra. | | | The Long, Complicated, Tedious, and Difficult Route to Principal Components: Part III
| | Howard Mark and Jerome Workman, Jr. continue their discussion of the derivation of the principal component algorithm using elementary algebra. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Pittcon 2009 New Product Review
| | Spectroscopy columnist Howard Mark takes a comprehensive look at the products that were introduced at Pittcon 2009 in Chicago. | | | 57th ASMS Conference Preview
| | Spectroscopy previews the upcoming ASMS conference to be held May 31–June 4, 2009, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. | | | 35th Annual FACSS Meeting
| | Spectroscopy previews the upcoming 35th Annual Meeting of the FACSS, to be held September 28 to October 2, 2008, in Reno, Nevada. | | | 35th Annual FACSS Meeting
| | Spectroscopy previews the upcoming 35th Annual Meeting of the FACSS, to be held September 28 to October 2, 2008, in Reno, Nevada. | | | DXC 2008: The World's Leading Forum for X-Ray Materials Analysis
| | A preview of the 57th Annual Denver X-Ray Conference, to be held August 4–8 in Denver, Colorado. | | | DXC 2008: The World's Leading Forum for X-Ray Materials Analysis
| | A preview of the 57th Annual Denver X-Ray Conference, to be held August 4–8 in Denver, Colorado. | | | The 56th Annual ASMS Conference: A Review
| | A summary of the five-day mass spectrometry conference held this month in Denver, Colorado. | | | Highlights of the 56th Annual ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry
| | Spectroscopy Magazine was well represented at the 56th Annual ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry, held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado, from June 1?5, 2008. | | | Pittcon 2008: Back to New Orleans and Coffee and Beignets for Breakfast
| | John Coates presents a comprehensive review of the products and accessories introduced at Pittcon this year. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Chemical Warfare Agent Spectral Imaging for Real-Time Identification and Localization
| | In this article, the authors discuss the need for protection against chemical attacks and the role of passive imaging spectroradiometers in the detection of remote chemical agents. | | | Rapid Field Detection of Chemical Warfare Agents and Toxic Industrial Chemicals Using a Hand-Portable GC–TMS System
| | In this article, methods developed for rapid, automated detection of CWAs and TICs using a low thermal mass capillary gas chromatograph coupled to a toroidal ion trap mass spectrometer (TMS) are presented. | | | Chemical Warfare Agents and Use of Thermal Desorption–GC–MS to Achieve Improved Trace-Level Detection
| | This article discusses the analysis of a wide range of CWAs at current exposure limits and describes a number of recent beneficial developments in TD and associated analytical technologies for the identification and quantification of CWAs at these levels. | | | Spectroscopy: A Technology for All Seasons
| | Spectroscopy techniques are an important facet of the laboratory analytical and life science instrument industry, which continues to expand as its analytical requirements migrate across industries and geographic regions. Overall industry growth has been in the 6-8% range for the last few years, which is a sign of both its maturity and its stability. The demands of the life science marketplace, environmental concerns, and the search for new materials are important driving forces. Likewise, the shifting market focus from North America and Europe to Asia is changing the face of the industry. It is expected that 2008 will be a good year for the industry despite the likely economic slowdown in North America and Europe. | | | Spectroscopy in Space: Hubble and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph
| | In an upcoming spacewalk, shuttle astronauts will swap the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR) device for the new Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS). | | | Spectroscopy: Still Important and Surprisingly Robust
| | Industry expert Lawrence Schmid presents his annual overview of the market in the laboratory analytical and life science instrument industry. Strong growth in Asia and continued growth in North America and Europe are promising signs for the industry in 2007 and beyond. | | | Resonance Light Scattering Spectrum of the Alizarin Green-CTMAB-Nucleic Acids System and Determination of Nucleic Acids at Nanogram Levels
| | The study of the interaction mechanism of nucleic acids-CTMAB with AG showed that the enhanced RLS comes from the aggregation of AG on nucleic acids through the bridged and synergistic effect of CTMAB. | | | Refractive Index and Thickness Analysis of Natural Silicon Dioxide Film Growing on Silicon with Variable-Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometry
| | October 2006. The authors investigate the optical properties and thickness of natural SiO2 thin films grown on silicon substrates simultaneously with a VASE system by choosing different angles of incidence and wavelength ranges. | | | Measurement of Metabolic Stability Using SIM and Identification of Metabolites by Data-Dependent full-Scan MS-MS and CNL Scanning
| | In this article, the role of a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer in performing in vitro studies of compound metabolic stability and identification of Phase I and II metabolites is demonstrated. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| News Spectrum
| | News items from the Spectroscopy industry. | | | News Spectrum
| | The latest news in the field of spectroscopy. | | | News Spectrum
| | Wilson College (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania) has been awarded a $6,000 grant from the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh (SSP) for the purchase of a fluorescence spectrophotometer to be used in the college's new Harry R. Brooks Complex for Science, Mathematics and Technology. The building houses subjects such as biology, chemistry, and veterinary medical technology. | | | News Spectrum
| | The Space Shuttle Atlantis recently visited the Hubble Space Telescope for the first time since 2002. During one of the mission's five spacewalks, astronauts swapped the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR) device for the new Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS). COSTAR is the device that corrected Hubble's original blurred vision during the first servicing mission. Since all of Hubble's instruments after that point were designed with the correction built in, COSTAR is no longer needed. COS is designed for ultraviolet spectroscopy and will be used to study such areas as galaxy evolution, the formation of planets and the rise of the elements needed for life, and the cosmic web of gas between galaxies. For more information, visit www.spectroscopyonline.com. | | | News Spectrum
| | The latest spectroscopy news. | | | News Spectrum
| | A look at the latest news in spectroscopy. |
| | News Spectrum
| | The Coblentz Society announced that Professor Takeshi Hasegawa of Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo, Japan) was selected as the recipient of the 2009 Craver Award in recognition of his creation of a novel spectroscopic technique for analyzing molecular orientation in a polymeric thin film deposited on a solid substrate, which can be carried out on a conventional FT-IR. Dr. Hasegawa's development of the technique of multiple-angle incidence resolution spectrometry (MAIRS) is one of the more important advances in surface chemistry in the last decade. | | | News Spectrum
| | Company News | | | News Spectrum
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| Rapid Identification of Illicit and Prescription Drugs Using FT-NIR Spectroscopy
| | The authors discuss the use of FT-NIR to identify several different types of drug formulations. | | | Wavelength Tech Forum: FT-IR/NIR Spectroscopy
| | This month's Technology Forum looks at the topic of FT-IR/NIR spectroscopy and the trends and issues surrounding it. Joining us for this discussion are Rohit Bhargava, with the University of Illinois, Chris Petty, with Thermo Fisher Scientific, Jim Yano and John Beauchaine, with Aspectrics, Richard Larsen, with Jasco, Inc., and Alan Rein, with A2 Technologies. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Happy Sesquicentennial, Spectroscopy!
| | David Ball celebrates the 150th birthday of spectroscopy. | | | Spectroscopy Moves into the Digital Age
| | Editor-in-Chief David Walsh discusses Spectroscopy's transition into the Digital Age. | | | Milestones in Spectroscopy
| | Industry veteran Howard Mark and Spectroscopy Technical Editor Steve Brown present a timeline of both spectroscopy and Spectroscopy | | | Near-Infrared Spectrophotometric Analysis of Human Blood Glucose: Influence of Repeating Errors on Prediction Accuracy
| | The authors examine the influence of repeating errors on the results of human blood glucose measurements using NIR. | | | Spectroscopy Uncensored: An Insider's Story of the First 15 Years
| | Former Editor-in-Chief Michael MacRae reviews the early history of Spectroscopy in the context of the times and according to the author's personal perspective. | | | Classical Least Squares, Part II: Mathematical Theory Continued
| | The authors continue their discussion of the classical least squares approach to calibration. | | | Pittcon 2010 New Product Review
| | Howard Mark brings readers his annual report on all that was new and innovative at Pittcon, held this year in Orlando, Florida at the Orange County Convention Center. | | | Using ICP-OES for Accurate Monitoring of Metallic Contaminants in Water According to U.S. EPA Method 200.7
| | ICP-AES, specified by the U.S. EPA Method 200.7, is capable of fulfilling requirements for analyzing a total of 32 metals and trace elements in supplied water, natural water, and wastewater. Here, the authors look at this method and its application to water analysis. | | | Classical Least Squares, Part I: Mathematical Theory
| | In this month's installment of "Chemometrics in Spectroscopy," the authors begin a new subseries with the goal of explaining the classical least squares algorithm. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Can You See Me Now?
| | Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed light-detecting fibers that act like a flexible camera when woven into a web. | | | Fiber Optics
| | Getting light from one place to another is a key task in any spectroscopic method. Sometimes we send light through (mostly) empty space using mirrors or lenses, and sometimes we use things called fiber optics. This installment of "The Baseline" tackles fiber optics. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Technology Forum: Fluorescence
| | This month's Technology Forum looks at the topic of fluorescence and the trends and issues surrounding it. Joining us for this discussion are David M. Jameson, Ph.D., University of Hawaii at Manoa; Michael W. Allen, Ph.D, Product Manager, Thermo Fisher Scientific; and Patrick J. Treado, Founder & CTO, ChemImage Corporation. | | | Market Profile: Luminometers
| | Although the market for dedicated single-tube luminometers now pales in comparison to multimode fluorometers and microplate readers, such luminometers continue to satisfy a niche market. The relative simplicity and therefore low cost is their major advantage, which is appealing to smaller life science laboratories. | |
| | Market Profile: Lifetime Fluorescence
| | Lifetime fluorescence is a subset of fluorescence spectroscopy in which the time between excitation and relaxation is measured, rather than just the intensity of the emitted energy. The technique is used primarily in biological applications, but has a number of other uses as well. Lifetime fluorescence is a well-established niche market. | | | Market Profile: Fluorescence Microscopy
| | Although overshadowed by other technologies, demand for fluorescence microscopy is already strong and is growing rapidly. The technology is proving to be very useful for specific life science applications. | | | DNA and Protein Concentration Measurements Using Fluorescence Analysis
| | Ocean Optics | | | Wavelength Tech Forum: Fluorescence Spectroscopy
| | Wavelength Tech Forum: Fluorescence Spectroscopy | | | DNA and Protein Concentration Measurements Using Fluorescence Analysis
| | Ocean Optics | | | Automated Fluorescence Polarization Method for Enzyme Activity Measurement
| | Hitachi High Technologies America, Inc. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Understanding and Interpreting the GAMP 5 Life Cycle Models for Software
| | Bob McDowall looks at the different life cycle models that apply in the laboratory to GAMP software categories 3, 4, and 5. | | | Are You Getting Value from Your Spectrometer?
| | Getting the best business value from a spectrometer requires knowledge of the instrument and its operating abilities, any attachments, the sample including sampling procedure and presentation, and the software. All of these elements must be pulled together by a skilled and knowledgeable spectroscopist. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in many organizations. | | | The Tiger Has Sharp New Teeth
| | The new FDA Commissioner wants a strong FDA and is backing her words with action by initiating a program that cuts the time that firms must respond to 483 observations from 30 to 15 business days. Not only is the time halved but the response must be complete. Therefore it is better and cheaper to be compliant than not. | | | Understanding and Interpreting the New GAMP 5 Software Categories
| | The GAMP (Good Automated Manufacturing Practice) guide version 5 was released in March 2008 and one of the changes was that the classification of software was revised — again. This column will look at what the changes mean for the laboratory and whether all of these should be implemented. | | | USP <1058> Analytical Instrument Qualification and the Laboratory Impact
| | In this column, Bob McDowall discusses the impact of USP general chapter 1058 on the spectroscopy laboratory. | | | Validation of Spectrometry Software: The Proactive Use of a Traceability Matrix in Spectrometry Software Validation, Part II: Practice
| | The second part of this column series on traceability matrices looks at some of the practical ways of tracing requirements from the user requirements throughout the life cycle documents. | | | Validation of Spectrometry Software: The Proactive Use of a Traceability Matrix in Spectrometry Software Validation, Part I: Principles
| | Tracing requirements from a user requirements specification throughout the life cycle is not only a very effective business tool to save time and effort in validation projects but also a regulatory expectation. This first installment of a two-part column series looks at the principles of a traceability matrix. | | | Validation of Spectrometry Software: Understanding the Role and Content of a Validation Master Plan
| | Columnist Bob McDowall discusses the role of a validation master plan (VMP) for summarizing a laboratory's approach to computer validation. | | | Understanding the Implications of the 2008 GMP Update and Why the Laboratory Is Not Included
| | In this "Focus on Quality" column, we will look at the overall GMP changes and then ask the following question: Why has the laboratory not been included in the proposed changes? | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Universal Quantification — The Uncelebrated Strength of ICP-MS
| | Guest columnist Steven Wilbur discusses the elemental nature of ICP-MS and its strength as a universal quantifier, an aspect of the technique he believes has not received enough attention. | | | ICP-MS: A Universally Sensitive GC Detection Method for Specialty and Electronic Gas Analysis
| | The authors discuss the use of ICP-MS as an effective chromatographic detection method that is relatively easy to interface to gas chromatography for gas analysis. | | | Market Profile: LC-ICP-MS
| | The coupling of HPLC with ICP-MS is a relatively new technique that combines two very well established analytical methods. The combination of these analytical methods provides what could prove to be a very useful technique in clinical analysis. The total LC-ICP-MS market amounts to only a few percent of the overall ICP-MS market, but it is rapidly developing into a significant niche market. | | | Higher Resolution Mass Analysis in Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry
| | Columnist Ken Busch discusses the ability to "dial in" resolving power as needed in newer trap mass analyzers, which shows promise for speciation analysis in ICP-MS with chromatographic separation of sample components. | | | ICP-MS: A Universally Sensitive GC Detection Method for Specialty and Electronic Gas Analysis
| | The authors discuss the use of ICP-MS as an effective chromatographic detection method that is relatively easy to interface to gas chromatography for gas analysis. | | | Selecting the Best ICP Sample Introduction System
| | In this article, the author describes the components available for the "front end" of an inductively coupled plasma spectrometer and discusses the pros and cons of each. | | | Complete Multielemental Analysis of Environmental and Geological Samples Using CCT-Based ICP-MS
| | The authors discuss the ICP-MS method, its usability in environmental and geological analysis and relevant regulations, and how to address its limitations. | | | Simple and Effective Control of Spectral Overlap Interferences in ICP-MS
| | The authors discuss a new approach to the control of spectral overlap interferences in inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. |
| | The Determination of Phosphorus, Sulfur, Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium in Biodiesel
| | The author looks at methods used to detect the presence of contaminants in biodiesel. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry: A Tool for Characterizing the Petroleome
| | The authors demonstrate the capacity to separate petroleum-derived molecules having the same nominal mass in the mobility dimension using IM-MS spectrometry. | | | Process Monitoring: In-line, At-line, or Slip-stream?
| | As process analytical technology (PAT) moves out of the laboratory and into the plant and to the process stream itself, the question arises, "What is the best way to collect data from stream samples?" The author shows that this depends upon both the nature of the stream and the components to be measured. | | | Analysis of Solar Silicon Using High-Throughput Spectroscopy
| | Infrared spectroscopy is a powerful analysis technique used in the semiconductor industry to ensure the quality of silicon and silicon wafers. The authors discuss the use of an inexpensive, lab-based system to measure carbon and oxygen concentrations in silicon to the level of precision required by the solar silicon industry. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry: A Tool for Characterizing the Petroleome
| | The authors demonstrate the capacity to separate petroleum-derived molecules having the same nominal mass in the mobility dimension using IM-MS spectrometry. | |
| | 2006 Salary Survey: Salary Changes and Job Satisfaction in the Spectroscopy Community
| | This year's survey of salaries and job attitudes reveals that the market seems stable, but many spectroscopists are feeling the pressure of the economy at work. | | | Spectroscopy Demand Expected to Outpace the Industry in 2006
| | Realistically, 2005 was a good year for the laboratory analytical and life science instrument industry. Although growth has moderated from that experienced in the 1990s, a general rebound in worldwide industrial demand, and continued spending for life science and strong growth in Asia and North America drove instrument systems and aftermarket sales. Similar to last year, 2006 should be a year of healthy sales growth as global economic conditions support continued market expansion. | | | Process Monitoring: In-line, At-line, or Slip-stream?
| | As process analytical technology (PAT) moves out of the laboratory and into the plant and to the process stream itself, the question arises, "What is the best way to collect data from stream samples?" The author shows that this depends upon both the nature of the stream and the components to be measured. | | | VWR, PerkinElmer Expand Chromatography, Spectroscopy Products Deal
| | PerkinElmer announced that it has signed a new distribution agreement with VWR International. | | | LabVantage Completes Acquisition of Life Technologies Corporation's SQL*LIMS Business
| | LabVantage announced that it has completed the acquisition of Life Technologies Corporation's SQL*LIMS business. | | | Analysis of Solar Silicon Using High-Throughput Spectroscopy
| | Infrared spectroscopy is a powerful analysis technique used in the semiconductor industry to ensure the quality of silicon and silicon wafers. The authors discuss the use of an inexpensive, lab-based system to measure carbon and oxygen concentrations in silicon to the level of precision required by the solar silicon industry. | | | The Waters Centre for BioMedical Mass Spectrometry at the University of Warwick
| | Waters Corporation (Milford, Massachusetts) and the University of Warwick, Coventry and Warwickshire, England, signed a collaborative research agreement intended to support the growth, development and adoption of novel mass spectrometry (MS) technologies. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Mid-Infrared Gas Sensing Using a Photonic Bandgap Fiber as a Gas Cell
| | Gas sensing in the mid-infrared region is examined. | | | The Spectral Lines of Hydrogen
| | A short history of the early scientific developments related to the optical emission lines of hydrogen is presented. These were crucial to the development of the quantum theory. Balmer's empirical formula was an important milestone. Rydberg and others provided additional work, especially for higher atomic numbers. However, it remained for Bohr to provide the physical reasoning. | | | IR Spectroscopy Analysis of Disposable Gloves for Residues
| | Residue can be transferred from gloves to samples at detectable levels, especially in attenuated total reflectance infrared spectra. Some residues can be removed easily by washing and drying the gloves in a manner similar to washing and drying hands. | | | Label-Free SERS for Rapid Species Identification of Escherichia Coli, Listeria Monocytogenes, and Salmonella Typhimurium Bacteria
| | The authors develop a label-free SERS method for rapid, accurate, specific, and routine screening of E. coli, L. monocytogenes, and S. typhimurium bacteria for public safety and security. | | | Atomic and Molecular Emissions Observed from Mid-Infrared Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
| | The authors use a novel MIR laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) probe, biochemicals, and inorganic alkali metal salts to produce emissions in the MIR region from atomic and oxygenated molecular breakdown species. | | | Miniature Optical Spectrometers: There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom Part I, Background and Mid-Infrared Spectrometers
| | There are straightforward motivations for miniaturizing an optical spectrometer. If an instrument can be made smaller, it often will also consume less power, enabling it to be portable and eventually handheld, which allows the spectrometer to be taken to the sample. This article describes various miniaturization techniques and focuses on the mid-infrared; subsequent articles will examine near-infrared, UV?vis, and Raman spectrometers. | | | Analysis of Solar Silicon Using High-Throughput Spectroscopy
| | Infrared spectroscopy is a powerful analysis technique used in the semiconductor industry to ensure the quality of silicon and silicon wafers. The authors discuss the use of an inexpensive, lab-based system to measure carbon and oxygen concentrations in silicon to the level of precision required by the solar silicon industry. | | | Infrared-Equipped Satellites Help Search for Missing Airplane
| | Data from the U.S. Air Force Defense Support Program (DSP) missile warning satellites collected early June 1 over the central Atlantic Ocean is being studied to see if it detected the impact or a fiery breakup of the Air France Airbus A330 that disappeared enroute to Paris, France, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil early on June 1. | | | Liquid Matrices for Analyses by UV-MALDI Mass Spectrometry
| | Data are presented for a pH-adjustable liquid UV-matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) matrix for mass spectrometry analysis. The liquid matrix system possesses high analytical sensitivity within the same order of magnitude as that achievable by the commonly used solid UV-MALDI matrices but with improved spot homogeneity and reproducibility. The pH of the matrix has been adjusted, achieving an on-target pH range of 3.5?8.6, which has allowed for the performance of a tryptic digest within the diluted pH-optimized liquid matrix. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Portable FT-IR and Raman Spectroscopy for Explosives Identification
| | This article discusses instruments that can be used in the field to rapidly and accurately identify various explosives and their precursors. | | | Market Profile: Handheld and Portable FT-IR
| | The handheld and portable Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) market is a very new and rapidly growing market thanks to the intersection of technological advancements and new demand. Relative to other portable analytical technologies, the range of applications for the technology is more diverse. Despite the rapid growth and potential for this market, however, only a handful of competitors currently dominate the market. | | | Market Profile: Portable Mass Spectrometers
| | The concept of portable mass spectrometry has been around for some time, but the realization of such technology has been largely limited until very recently. More than ever before, recent technological advances now make smaller, lighter, and more effective mass spectrometers possible. Such advances will lend themselves to a growing spectrum of applications as well. | | | Pittcon 2009 New Product Review
| | Spectroscopy columnist Howard Mark takes a comprehensive look at the products that were introduced at Pittcon 2009 in Chicago. | | | Think Small Revisited: Handheld Spectroscopy
| | Guest author John Coates describes handheld measurements performed using a palm-sized device that can be used either as an open-ended spectrometer or as a dedicated analyzer. | | | Modulators
| | Some types of spectroscopy work better if the intensity of the light source increases and decreases in a regular pattern. Such a varying signal is called modulated, and here, the author explores the devices that perform this function. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Current Status of Standoff LIBS Security Applications at the United States Army Research Laboratory
| | The United States Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has been applying standoff laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to hazardous material detection and determination. We describe several standoff systems that have been developed by ARL and provide a brief overview of standoff LIBS progress at ARL. We also present some current standoff LIBS results from explosive residues on organic substrates and biomaterials from different growth media. These new preliminary results demonstrate that standoff LIBS has the potential to discriminate hazardous materials in more complex backgrounds. | | | Terahertz Pulsed Imaging for Nondestructive Testing of Pharmaceutical Products
| | In this column, Guest Columnist Philip Taday explores the use of terahertz spectroscopy for tablet coating analysis. | | | Technology Forum: Optics and Lasers
| | This month's Technology Forum looks at the topic of optics and lasers and the trends and issues surrounding it. Joining us for this discussion are Rob Morris, Director of Marketing, Ocean Optics, Inc.; and Phil Taday, Applications Group Leader, fromTeraView Limited. | | | Market Profile: Laser Ellipsometry
| | Ellipsometry is the analysis of the change in the state of polarized light after it has reflected from the surface of a thin film sample. | | | Market Profile: Laser Ellipsometry
| | Ellipsometry is the analysis of the change in the state of polarized light after it has reflected from the surface of a thin film sample. Laser ellipsometry, which has certain advantages and disadvantages, is a subset of this market. Applications for laser ellipsometry prinarily are related to the semiconductor and electronics industry, but its use in the life sciences could offer significant new demand. | | | Lasers Reveal Shrinking Ice Sheets
| | Data from NASA's high-resolution ICESat lasers indicate that ice sheets in Greenland and western Antarctica are melting faster than scientists thought. | | | Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Analysis of Aerosol Particles: The Path Toward Quantitative Analysis
| | The author discusses the evolution of thought with regard to LIBS-based analysis of aerosol systems and provides insight into future research directions. | | | Wavelength Tech Forum: Optics/Lasers
| | This month's Technology Forum looks at the topic of optics and lasers and the trends and issues surrounding them. Joining us for this discussion are Rob Morris, with Ocean Optics, Sergey Mirov, with University of Alabama at Birmingham, Dan Merdes, with Penn State University, and Tim Kane, with Penn State University. | | | The Investigation of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Detection of Biological Contaminants on Surfaces
| | The potential utility of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) as a means to detect biological contaminants on painted surfaces is investigated. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Examining Molecular Orientation Using ATR Spectroscopy
| | | | | Analysis of Fructose, Glycine, and Triglycine Using HPLC UV-vis Detection and Evaporative Light-Scattering Detection
| | The development of a method for the simultaneous determination of glycine, triglycine and fructose using UV–vis and evaporative light-scattering detection (ELSD) is described. This was necessary as part of a research project dealing with the recovery of functional peptides from aqueous streams on an industrial scale using adsorption or related technologies. Fructose is barely detectable by UV–vis as it lacks detectable functionalities, while glycine and triglycine are both UV–vis sensitive. An NH2 phase was chosen as a column and separation was obtained within seven minutes on a 250 X 4.6 mm column. Limits of detection are approximately 40 mg fructose/L, 4 mg glycine/L and 0.05 mg triglycine/L. Calibration functions are linear in a range of 40–1400 mg/L for fructose, 5–200 mg/L for glycine and 0.5–70 mg/L for triglycine. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Market Profile: Process Raman Spectroscopy
| | Raman spectroscopy has rapidly become an established analytical technique in the lab, in the field, and online. Its inherent advantages make it very well suited for industrial applications, which has led to the rise of significant demand from a broad range of industries. Strong potential growth for process Raman remains, even after the impact of the recent recession. | | | Market Profile: Triple Quadrupole GC–MS
| | Until recently, triple-quadrupole gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) has been a relatively obscure segment of the GC–MS market. However, it is now exploding into a major market segment. New entrants and recent instrument introductions indicate that there has been a significant unmet need in the GC–MS market for such capabilities. | | | Market Profile: Portable and Handheld Raman
| | Raman spectroscopy in general, and specifically, handheld and portable Raman, has developed very rapidly over the past decade due to technological developments that have unleashed the advantages of the technique. Portable/handheld Raman spectroscopy has gone from an insignificant market to the largest portable molecular spectroscopy technique in just a few years. | | | Market Profile: Process NMR
| | Somewhat unique among molecular spectroscopy techniques, the application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for industrial process analysis is driven primarily by the petroleum industry. | | | Market Profile: Terahertz Spectroscopy
| | One of the last frontiers of molecular spectroscopy is in the terahertz region, for which instrumentation has only been developed within the past decade. | | | Market Profile: Magnetic Sector ICP-MS
| | The ultimate in atomic spectroscopy performance, magnetic sector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometery (ICP-MS) instruments are used for the most demanding analyses. There is significant demand across several industries, despite the fact that the global market for such instrumentation is a niche area. | | | Market Profile: Process FT-NIR
| | Fourier transform–near infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy is one of a number of molecular spectroscopy techniques that are already used for online process analysis across a number of industries, but are still seeing significant growth in demand. FT-NIR technology has a number of inherent advantages for online analysis. | | | Market Profile: Portable fluorometers
| | A small niche market within fluorescence spectroscopy is portable fluorometers. Primary applications are in the agricultural industry, but there is considerable potential elsewhere. The market landscape is small and fragmented, with no dominant leader, and significant potential for growth. | | | Market Profile: Laboratory FT-Raman
| | Fourier transform (FT)–Raman spectroscopy is one of two general categories of Raman spectroscopy. Its adoption helped make Raman spectroscopy a commercially viable analytical technique, and it is still widely used. Although it has become somewhat of a niche technique, demand continues to grow. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Sampling in Mass Spectrometry
| | Columnist Kenneth L. Busch discusses some of the basic considerations for valid sampling, with some examples pertinent to mass spectrometry. | | | Exploring Our Extraterrestrial Roots
| | NASA scientists have detected the amino acid glycine in samples of the comet Wild 2 gathered by the spacecraft Stardust. | | | Analysis of Fructose, Glycine, and Triglycine Using HPLC UV-vis Detection and Evaporative Light-Scattering Detection
| | The development of a method for the simultaneous determination of glycine, triglycine and fructose using UV–vis and evaporative light-scattering detection (ELSD) is described. This was necessary as part of a research project dealing with the recovery of functional peptides from aqueous streams on an industrial scale using adsorption or related technologies. Fructose is barely detectable by UV–vis as it lacks detectable functionalities, while glycine and triglycine are both UV–vis sensitive. An NH2 phase was chosen as a column and separation was obtained within seven minutes on a 250 X 4.6 mm column. Limits of detection are approximately 40 mg fructose/L, 4 mg glycine/L and 0.05 mg triglycine/L. Calibration functions are linear in a range of 40–1400 mg/L for fructose, 5–200 mg/L for glycine and 0.5–70 mg/L for triglycine. | | | Combating Terrorism with Mass Spectrometry — Screening People for Explosives
| | In this article, the authors review the capabilities and challenges of deploying mass spectrometry (MS) to homeland security screening requirements. | | | Improving the Analytical Workflow for Protein Biopharmaceutical Characterization with a Novel LC–MS System Solution
| | This article presents an efficient analytical workflow for protein characterization using LC–MS. | | | ADME/Pharmacokinetic Studies from Serum and Plasma: Improvements in Sample Preparation and LC–MS Analysis of Therapeutic Oligonucleotides
| | The authors discuss improvements in sample preparation for ADME/pharmacokinetic studies of therapeutic oligonucleotides. | | | Anatomy of an Ion's Fragmentation After Electron Ionization, Part II
| | The authors continue their discussion of the role of the analysis of fragment ions in the interpretation of an analyte's mass spectrum. | | | 57th ASMS Conference Review
| | The 57th ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry was held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 31 through June 4, 2009. | | | Quantitative Proteomic Workflow for Discovery of Early Rejection Kidney Transplant Peptide Biomarkers and Subsequent Development of SRM Assays in Urine
| | The authors discuss a noninvasive method for determining early indications of the rejection of a kidney transplant. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| A Random Walk Through the Web of Mass Spectrometry
| | The Web contains a diverse collection of resources (tutorials, texts, images, videos, and animations) of interest to mass spectrometrists. | | | Mass Spectral Libraries: The Next Generation
| | Fundamentally new manipulations of data contained in mass spectral databases and libraries are envisioned for the next generation of mass spectral libraries. | | | Pressure and Vacuum: Not Really Trivial
| | Good vacuum system design is a crucial underpinning for high performance instrumentation. The important aspects of pressure and vacuum need regular teaching, and here Ken Busch discusses them. | | | Mass Spectrometry Forum: Ion Lenses
| | Columnist Kenneth L. Busch looks at the impact ion lenses can have on the performance of the mass spectrometer. | | | Sampling in Mass Spectrometry
| | Columnist Kenneth L. Busch discusses some of the basic considerations for valid sampling, with some examples pertinent to mass spectrometry. | |
| Development of Mass Spectrometry in the United States: The First 50 Years
| | Columnist Ken Busch presents an overview of the development of mass spectrometry in the United States, covering a period of about 50 years. | | | Higher Resolution Mass Analysis in Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry
| | Columnist Ken Busch discusses the ability to "dial in" resolving power as needed in newer trap mass analyzers, which shows promise for speciation analysis in ICP-MS with chromatographic separation of sample components. | | | Ethics in Mass Spectrometry
| | Columnist Ken Busch discusses the lack of a formal ethics training program for physical scientists and the need for some type of self-regulation within the field. | | | Quantitative Mass Spectrometry, Part V: Scedasity Revealed
| | In the fourth part of this five-part series, columnist Ken Busch discussed weighted regression analysis as used in QMS. In this final column, he adds an additional explanation. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Depth Resolution of the Raman Microscope: Optical Limitations and Sample Characteristics
| | The experimental determination of the depth resolution of a Raman microscope is described. | | | Analysis of Lignin and Cellulose in Biological Energy Sources by Raman Microscopy
| | Cellulosic feedstocks from biological harvests (such as timber, prairie grass, and corn stover) or industrial–urban waste have been proposed as a source for the production of energy in the form of fermentation-produced ethanol biofuel. | | | Raman Spectroscopy for Biomedical Applications
| | In this column, Fran Adar discusses what progress is being made in the application of Raman spectroscopy to studies of disease states and why it is worth the effort to pursue. | | | Raman Spectroscopy of Carbon — More Information Than You Would Think
| | In this article, columnist Fran Adar will review the important features of the Raman spectra of these materials and indicate why the extracted information is important for material development and engineering. | | | FT-IR and Raman: A Synergism, Not Competing Technologies
| | Columnist Fran Adar discusses applications for Raman and FT-IR spectroscopy. | | | Raman Images from Raman Maps - Spatial Resolution, Mapping Speed, and Multivariate Techniques for Constructing the Image
| | Columnist Fran Adar discusses the physical determinants of spatial resolution and developing methods to improve the mapping speeds of Raman images. | | | Raman Applications That Are Driving a Rapidly Expanding Market
| | Chemical analysts who use spectroscopy to extract molecular information from samples have been following the developments in Raman instrumentation. Vibrational spectroscopy provides detailed molecular information, but Fourier-transform IR has been much easier to use than Raman. Now that Raman equipment is smaller, cheaper, faster, and easier, analysts are interested. Columnist Fran Adar will discuss why. | | | Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering
| | Columnist Fran Adar discusses surfaced-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The phenomenon is described and the enhancement factors that make it so attractive for analytical purposes are pointed out. In particular, she reviews the state-of-the-art from the point of view of the instrumentation and the robustness of the measurements. | | | Raman Micro Imaging - What Was a Concept in 1975 Is Now a Reality
| | Raman microscopy was developed as a tool for microanalysis complementary to the electron microscope, which enabled identification of the elements in a microspot. The first realization for Raman imaging was implemented using a nonconfocal optical method. Subsequently, a confocal scheme was developed, which provided better contrast in the Raman image. A number of successful examples from pathology, pharmaceutical analysis, and geology will be shown. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Miniature Optical Spectrometers: The Art of the Possible, Part IV: New Near-Infrared Technologies and Spectrometers
| | Part II of this series described many of the miniature optical technologies that were developed as a result of the telecommunications boom, and Part III covered conventional small near-infrared (NIR) spectrometers. Here, in Part IV, we bring those themes together and see how the massive investment in telecommunications, microelectro- mechanical systems (MEMS), and micro-opto-electro-mechanical (MOEMS) is starting to impact NIR spectroscopy. | | | NIR Spectroscopy -- A Noninvasive Mind-Reader?
| | Canadian researchers at the Bloorview Research Institute (Toronto, ON, Canada) and the University of Toronto have developed a way to use optical imaging to decode preference by measuring the intensity of near-infrared light absorbed in brain tissue. | | | Hubble Finds Hidden Exoplanet
| | Using a powerful new image-processing technique, researchers at the University of Toronto (Ontario, Canada) have identified an exoplanet in images taken in 1998 with the Hubble Space Telescope's Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS). | | | Mind-Controlled Robots Using NIR Spectroscopy
| | Japan's Honda Research Institute and precision-equipment manufacturer Shimadzu recently demonstrated a technology that allows humans to control a robot through thought alone. | | | Forensic Application of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy: Aging of Bloodstains
| | The authors discuss the use of near-infrared spectroscopy to determine the age of a bloodstain, which can be critical in helping establish when a crime was committed. | | | Miniature Optical Spectrometers, Part III: Conventional and Laboratory Near-Infrared Spectrometers
| | In Part I of this series, we examined recently developed miniature mid-infrared spectrometers (1). In Part II, we surveyed micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS), micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems (MOEMS), and some of the photonics technologies developed for optical communications (2). Here, in Part III, we summarize some of the conventional approaches to miniaturizing near-infrared (NIR) spectrometers, and in Part IV, we will bring these themes together and see how MOEMS and telecommunications photonics are poised to revolutionize NIR spectroscopy with a new generation of miniature instruments. | | | Extending the Range of MCT Focal Plane Arrays-Based Imaging Systems to Near IR Imaging Applications
| | | | Miniature NIR Spectrometers: Designed for Harsh Environments
| | | | Measurement of Water in Ethanol Using Encoded Photometric NIR Spectroscopy
| | For ethanol to be usable as a fuel, water must be removed in the distillation process. This article reviews an experiment conducted to test the capability of an EP-IR spectrometer to quantify the percentage volume of water in ethanol. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Can You See Me Now?
| | Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed light-detecting fibers that act like a flexible camera when woven into a web. | | | Terahertz Pulsed Imaging for Nondestructive Testing of Pharmaceutical Products
| | In this column, Guest Columnist Philip Taday explores the use of terahertz spectroscopy for tablet coating analysis. | | | How Will Distributed Sensing Inspire Changes in Optical-Sensing R&D?
| | Improvements in engineering and manufacturing processes and tools have rapidly lowered the cost to make products, and to distribute them. The next generation of optical sensing technologies will offer a framework for the creation and testing of new business models based upon the distribution of knowledge and service. In fact, this concept of "distributed sensing" already has emerged in networked systems monitoring various aspects of the environment. | | | Technology Forum: Optics and Lasers
| | This month's Technology Forum looks at the topic of optics and lasers and the trends and issues surrounding it. Joining us for this discussion are Rob Morris, Director of Marketing, Ocean Optics, Inc.; and Phil Taday, Applications Group Leader, fromTeraView Limited. | | | Prisms
| | A prism is an optical component that serves one of two major functions: it disperses light, or it modifies the direction (and sometimes polarization) of light. In some cases, a prism has more than one function, and they are discussed here. | | | Advantages of High OD Filters to Microscopy
| | The author discusses the use of filters in optical microscopy and the advantages that have been gained as a result of developments in filter technology. | | | Lenses
| | In the last installment of this column, I discussed prisms. In this installment, we will consider their curved cousins. | | | A Look into Deep Space
| | Chinese scientists have built the world's most powerful optical telescope in a research base of the National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) near Beijing, expecting to unravel the mysteries of the universe. | | | Wavelength Tech Forum: Optics/Lasers
| | This month's Technology Forum looks at the topic of optics and lasers and the trends and issues surrounding them. Joining us for this discussion are Rob Morris, with Ocean Optics, Sergey Mirov, with University of Alabama at Birmingham, Dan Merdes, with Penn State University, and Tim Kane, with Penn State University. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| The Use of Process Analytical Technology in Biofuels Production
| | Biofuels such as biodiesel and bioethanol are now the main alternatives to fossil fuels in one of the most pollutant human activities: transportation. The authors report on the use of process analytical technology for mapping raw materials, fingerprinting process trajectories, and calibrating for the most important quality specifications, both for individual chemical and physical attributes or for combined quality attributes, thusleading to more consistent and economically viable processes. | | | Process Monitoring: In-line, At-line, or Slip-stream?
| | As process analytical technology (PAT) moves out of the laboratory and into the plant and to the process stream itself, the question arises, "What is the best way to collect data from stream samples?" The author shows that this depends upon both the nature of the stream and the components to be measured. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| FT-IR–Raman Combination: The Perfect Analytical Solution for Vibrational Spectroscopists
| | The authors discuss the combined use of Raman and FT-IR spectroscopy in fields such as forensic science, biomedical science, catalysis, and polymers. | | | Detection and Sourcing of Counterfeit Pharmaceutical Products and Consumer Goods
| | The authors discuss the use of vibrational spectroscopy to differentiate an authentic article from a counterfeit one throughout a product's lifecycle, from component receipt at the site of manufacture, to product receipt by the end user. | | | Combining Raman Spectroscopy and Differential Scanning Calorimetry
| | Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) are powerful techniques in their own right. Combining the two techniques allows one to combine the chemical and structural information of Raman with the temperature and energetic information of DSC. This allows us to develop a greater understanding of the material. Applications from polymeric and pharmaceuticals are discussed as examples of how this can help the analyst. | | | Analysis of Multicomponent Polymer Blends with Confocal Raman Imaging and Atomic Force Microscopy
| | Polymer blends are designed to address the needs of different industries, and in many cases the relationship between structure, morphology, and material properties is indispensable for optimization of material design. | | | Dual-Use Raman Spectroscopy for Chemical and Biological Agent Identification
| | The authors discuss the use of a field-deployable Raman instrument for rapid identification of chemical and biological pathogens. | | | Low-Resolution Raman Spectroscopy, the Photonic Engine Behind Materials Identification's Promising Future
| | Miniature spectrometers revolutionized the spectroscopy market more than 15 years ago and became a key factor in the creation and steady growth of the photonics field. Today these spectrometers are becoming an important part of the new market of field-deployable analytical instruments used for materials identification based on Raman spectroscopy. Just as before, these spectrometric photonic engines are key factors on reducing the cost and improving the flexibility of applications of a traditionally expensive and rigid vibrational spectroscopy method. Raman spectroscopy is becoming an affordable tool used for applications ranging from homeland security to green energy research and development, either at a laboratory, a crime scene, or a biodiesel manufacturing facility. | | | Market Profile: Raman-Enabled FT-IR
| | Infrared (IR) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy are very complementary methods. The strongest demand tends to come from applications that require analytical information from a potentially broad range of compounds and functional groups. The global market for combined Raman and FT-IR accounts for a small but growing percentage of both the broader IR and Raman spectroscopy markets. | | | Raman Spectroscopy as a Rapid Characterization Tool for Heterogeneous Solids
| | There are many situations in which it would be highly desirable to apply the benefits of Raman to larger volumes of solid material such as powders, tablets, and composites. Raman benefits such as minimal sample preparation, the ability to provide rich information on both organics and inorganics, and its ability to measure through glass and plastic packaging make it highly amenable to these kinds of samples. | | | Transmission Raman Offers Improved Quantitation of Pharmaceutical Solids
| | Manufacturing control of pharmaceutical solids requires routine measurement of content uniformity. Because of the high information content in Raman spectra, it has been considered a candidate technology for making these measurements. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Market Profile: MALDI Imaging
| | The adoption of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for imaging applications is a major recent development in the market. Applications lie squarely in the life sciences area, being primarily in histopathology. The market for MALDI imaging products already accounts for a significant and rapidly growing portion of the aftermarket for MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Technology Forum: Optics and Lasers
| | This month's Technology Forum looks at the topic of optics and lasers and the trends and issues surrounding it. Joining us for this discussion are Rob Morris, Director of Marketing, Ocean Optics, Inc.; and Phil Taday, Applications Group Leader, fromTeraView Limited. | | | Wavelength Tech Forum: FT-IR/NIR
| | This month's Technology Forum looks at the topic of FT-IR/NIR and the trends and issues surrounding it. Joining us for this discussion are Alan Rein, Vice President, Business Development, from A2 Technologies; Paul A. Wilks, President, from Wilks Enterprise, Inc.; and Dr. Simon Nunn, Director of Marketing, Molecular & Microanalysis, from Thermo Fisher Scientific. | | | Technology Forum: FT-IR/NIR
| | This month's Technology Forum looks at the topic of FT-IR/NIR and the trends and issues surrounding it. Joining us for this discussion are Robert Mattes, FOSS NIRSystems, Inc.; Debbie Peru, Colgate Palmolive; and Dr. Richard A. Larsen, JASCO. | | | Wavelength Tech Forum: Optics/Lasers
| | This month's Technology Forum looks at the topic of optics and lasers and the trends and issues surrounding them. Joining us for this discussion are Rob Morris, with Ocean Optics, Sergey Mirov, with University of Alabama at Birmingham, Dan Merdes, with Penn State University, and Tim Kane, with Penn State University. | | | Wavelength Tech Forum: X-Ray Spectroscopy
| | In this month's Technology Forum, participants discuss trends in X-ray spectroscopy. Joining us for this roundtable are Kimberley Russell, Director of Marketing for Innov-X Systems, and Steven Pomerantz, Director of X-ray Business Development for Thermo Electron Corporation. | | | Wavelength Tech Forum: Raman Technology
| | Raman spectroscopy is one of the fastest growing analytical techniques in use today. In this month's Technology Forum, we look at some of the reasons for the increase in its popularity and new applications for the technique. From Mesophotonics Limited, our participants are Caterina Netti, applications manager, and Stephen Allen, Vice President, Analytical Business. Our participants from HORIBA Jobin Yvon are Fran Adar, Worldwide Raman Applications Manager, and Andrew Whitley, Vice President, Raman Spectroscopy. | | | Wavelength Tech Forum: Laser Spectroscopy
| | New developments in lasers and optical technologies are bringing about exciting changes in spectroscopy. Faster lasers are leading to faster, more sensitive detectors, taking the accuracy of optical measurement to the next level. This month, we talk about the developments in optics and lasers. Our participants are Rob Morris, director of marketing and customer relations at Ocean Optics; and Steven Buckley, technical director of Photon Machines. | | | Wavelength Tech Forum: Pittcon Roundtable
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| The excitement of Pittcon is barely over, and many of us, at our desks or lab benches, might be mulling over the events of that week. Are you curious to hear what others thought of Pittcon 2006? In this month?s Tech Forum, participants discuss the conference, the changes it has undergone over the years, and offer their opinions for improving it in the future. This month?s forum members include Howard Mark of the consulting service Mark Electronics and a member of Spectroscopy?s Editorial Advisory Board; Robert Thomas, principal consultant at Scientific Solutions; Anthony Nip, who is with CambridgeSoft Corporation and is also a member of Spectroscopy?s Editorial Advisory Board; and Ray Kaminski, vice president of the fluorescence group at HORIBA Jobin Yvon. | | | Wavelength Tech Forum: Industry Trends
| | How is the spectroscopy industry doing this year? This month, our roundtable participants analyze trends in the industry based on their expertise. This month?s discussion includes John Carroll, managing partner at Cadrai Technology Group, and Emil Ciurczak, chief technical officer at Cadrai Technology Group, and member of Spectroscopy?s Editorial Advisory Board. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Happy Sesquicentennial, Spectroscopy!
| | David Ball celebrates the 150th birthday of spectroscopy. | | | Group Theory and Symmetry, Part III: Representations and Character Tables
| | In the third part of this series, David Ball starts getting into the mathematical aspects of group theory, aspects that ultimately become useful in spectroscopy. |
| | Group Theory and Symmetry, Part II: Groups
| | In the previous installment of this column, David Ball introduced the five types of symmetry elements that are important in physical science. Here, he discuss why it’s called "group" theory in the first place. | | | Group Theory and Symmetry, Part I: Symmetry Elements
| | Group theory is the field of mathematics that includes, among other things, the treatment of symmetry. Well, it turns out that molecules have symmetry, so group theoretical principles can be applied to molecules. Because spectroscopy uses light to probe the properties of molecules, it might not be surprising that group theory has some application to spectroscopy. Here, we start a multipart discussion of symmetry and group theory. | | | The Baseline: Color
| | Columnist David W. Ball discusses how a scarf featuring the visible emission spectrum of hydrogen inspired his latest column, on color. | | | Auger Spectroscopy
| | Some forms of spectroscopy involve actions other than measuring a property of light. In the case of this form of spectroscopy, the energies of emitted electrons are measured. | | | The Seven Base Units: Part II
| | In the previous installment of this column, David Ball introduced the concept of base units and discussed several of them. Here, he completes the discussion of the units themselves and presents some associated issues. | | | The Seven Base Units, Part I
| | Columnist David ball discusses the history of the units system used by scientists and several of the base units themselves. | | | Lenses
| | In the last installment of this column, I discussed prisms. In this installment, we will consider their curved cousins. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| UV-Vis Diffuse Reflectance of Thermochromic Materials Including Color-Changing Paint
| | Some powders and rough surfaced solids change color as a function of temperature, a phenomenon known as thermochromism. Such phenomena can be effectively studied by UV-Visible spectroscopy in combination with a diffuse reflection accessory equipped with temperature-controlled reaction chamber, as demonstrated here with a thermal paint. | | | Liquid Matrices for Analyses by UV-MALDI Mass Spectrometry
| | Data are presented for a pH-adjustable liquid UV-matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) matrix for mass spectrometry analysis. The liquid matrix system possesses high analytical sensitivity within the same order of magnitude as that achievable by the commonly used solid UV-MALDI matrices but with improved spot homogeneity and reproducibility. The pH of the matrix has been adjusted, achieving an on-target pH range of 3.5?8.6, which has allowed for the performance of a tryptic digest within the diluted pH-optimized liquid matrix. | | | Market Profile: UV/Vis/NIR
| | While the overall laboratory UV and Visible spectroscopy market was worth well over $700 million in 2007, the UV/Vis/NIR segment represented less than 10% of it. UV/Vis/NIR instruments utilize multiple detectors to cover a broader spectrum of analysis, and typically are among the highest-end systems in the UV-Vis market. | | | Ultraviolet Signals in Blue Tits
| | | | Improved Performance and Functionality in UV-Visible Measurements
| | | | Spectroscopy in Space: Hubble and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph
| | In an upcoming spacewalk, shuttle astronauts will swap the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR) device for the new Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS). | | | Analysis of Fructose, Glycine, and Triglycine Using HPLC UV-vis Detection and Evaporative Light-Scattering Detection
| | The development of a method for the simultaneous determination of glycine, triglycine and fructose using UV–vis and evaporative light-scattering detection (ELSD) is described. This was necessary as part of a research project dealing with the recovery of functional peptides from aqueous streams on an industrial scale using adsorption or related technologies. Fructose is barely detectable by UV–vis as it lacks detectable functionalities, while glycine and triglycine are both UV–vis sensitive. An NH2 phase was chosen as a column and separation was obtained within seven minutes on a 250 X 4.6 mm column. Limits of detection are approximately 40 mg fructose/L, 4 mg glycine/L and 0.05 mg triglycine/L. Calibration functions are linear in a range of 40–1400 mg/L for fructose, 5–200 mg/L for glycine and 0.5–70 mg/L for triglycine. | | | Liquid Matrices for Analyses by UV-MALDI Mass Spectrometry
| | Data are presented for a pH-adjustable liquid UV-matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) matrix for mass spectrometry analysis. The liquid matrix system possesses high analytical sensitivity within the same order of magnitude as that achievable by the commonly used solid UV-MALDI matrices but with improved spot homogeneity and reproducibility. The pH of the matrix has been adjusted, achieving an on-target pH range of 3.5?8.6, which has allowed for the performance of a tryptic digest within the diluted pH-optimized liquid matrix. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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