Infrared Spectroscopy / Ezine
The highs and lows of ozone
Date: Apr 1, 2008
Author: David Bradley
Chemistry that takes place way above our heads is not just less accessible than you might imagine but has more significance than was first thought for those of us with our feet firmly on the ground.
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FTIR analysis of the conformational quality of recombinant proteins within inclusion bodies
Date: Mar 3, 2008
Author:
The use of FTIR spectroscopy for the structural analysis of inclusion bodies purified from cells and in vivo is reviewed, with examples concerning aggregation kinetics and structure as a function of expression levels, temperature and co-expression of chaperones.
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Spot the difference
Date: Mar 1, 2008
Author: David Bradley
While there is scant evidence for the efficacy of aromatherapy in treating disease, it is well known that certain fragrances, such as mint, lavender, and jasmine, can influence stress-induced psychosomatic disorders. Now, a near infrared spectroscopic study of the brain and facial skin secretion response to long-term use of a specific fragrance could provide useful clues about the underyling neurophysiological mechanism of such changes.
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On-line near IR of glycerol-boosted anaerobic digestion processes
Date: Feb 4, 2008
Author:
A study of NIR as a tool for process monitoring of thermophilic anaerobic digestion boosted by glycerol has been carried out, aimed at developing simple and robust process analytical technology modalities for on-line surveillance in full scale biogas plants.
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Black is black, but black is blacker
Date: Feb 1, 2008
Author: David Bradley
A novel composite material comprising a low-density arrays of loosely vertically aligned carbon nanotubes, absorbs more than 99.9 percent of the incident light that touches it. The developers claim that it could be the darkest material known. Ultimately, a material derived from this technology could be used to improve solar energy conversion and in infrared sensors.
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pyVib, a computer program for the analysis of infrared and Raman optical activity
Date: Jan 7, 2008
Author:
A new program called pyVib has been developed as a tool for the analysis of Gaussian outputs of IR, Raman as well as vibrational optical activity (VOA) spectra calculations. It is coded in Python, uses the visualization toolkit (VTK) library, and is freely available under the terms of the general GNU public license for Linux platforms.
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Oscillating electronic drifters
Date: Jan 1, 2008
Author: David Bradley
Researchers in Germany have used short pulses of infrared to observe the dashing and darting movements of electrons in one of the most technologically important materials, gallium arsenide. Their findings provide new insights into the electrical and optical properties of this material and could hint at new applications.
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Water, water
Date: Dec 1, 2007
Author: David Bradley
Optical scattering data, Raman and FTIR spectroscopy have been used to study the anomalous behaviour of water in the range 30 to 373 Kelvin. The research reveals yet more strange interactions between water molecules not seen before and could assist studies of hydrated materials, such as biopolymers at cryogenic temperatures.
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FTIR study of microwave effects on transformation of cellulose I into cellulose II during mercerization
Date: Dec 1, 2007
Author:
FTIR spectroscopy techniques were used in the study of the effect of microwave heating on the structural properties of cotton fibers and their mercerization mechanism, following microwave heating for different times and different microwave powers.
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Image comparison with new grid technology
Date: Nov 1, 2007
Author: David Bradley
An infrared and X-ray sensitive grid, developed by researchers at the US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, could allow scientists to correlate the results of microscopic imaging techniques much more precisely than possible before. The system could lead to improved diagnostics and even novel treatments for a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer's disease.
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