Raman Spectroscopy / Ezine
Serendipitous tuning: Well-stacked graphene
Date: Oct 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
An accidental discovery at the University of California, Riverside, might allow materials scientists to control the way sheets of the carbon allotrope stack together and so allow them to tune the electrical properties of the material. Raman spectroscopy was used to reveal the stacking order and so may have played a crucial role in the development of graphene nanoelectronics devices of the future.
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Journal Highlight: Raman spectroscopy of the polymorphic forms and liquid state of cocoa butter
Date: Sep 6, 2011
Author:
Raman spectroscopy was used to characterize the polymorphs and liquid state of cocoa butter, clearly demonstrating that the different functional groups studied could be characterized independently, allowing for the understanding of their role in cocoa butter polymorphism.
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Rocky road to confusion: Raman tricks geochemists
Date: Sep 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
Raman spectroscopy has become an increasingly useful tool in the geosciences partly because it is non-destructive and requires minimal sample preparation, but also because it can be carried out on site with various irreplaceable geological samples. Unfortunately, Raman can confuse, especially when substances such as haematite and disordered carbonaceous materials are present in the same sample.
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Journal Highlight: Tunable optical setup with high flexibility for spectrally resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy
Date: Aug 8, 2011
Author:
A simplified setup for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy allows for recording images with 30 cm-1 excitation band-width for probing Raman bands between 500 and 900 cm-1 with minimal requirements for alignment.
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SNPs at a snip: SERS spots singles
Date: Aug 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy can be used to detect single nucleotide substitutions (the all-important SNPs of genetic variance and personalised medicine) in DNA without the need for labels or indeed any chemical modification of the oligonucleotides.
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Journal Highlight: Revealing the invisible: using SERS to identify minute remnants of color in Winslow Homer's colorless skies
Date: Jul 4, 2011
Author:
SERS spectra were recorded directly on single particles of red lake pigments from an important historical watercolor by the American master Winslow Homer that suffered some degree of fading to reveal accurate colorant identification.
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Cancer signals: Enhancing Raman endoscopy
Date: Jul 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
Radioactively labelled gold nanoparticles can assist in a novel endoscopic technique using Raman spectroscopy to look at microscopic structures, including nascent tumours, deep within the body. Preclinical tests carried out using the technology shows that the gold nanoparticles can be administered safely and used to image the inside of the large intestine. The research bodes well for identification of malignant tissue in the earliest stages of colon cancer.
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Journal Highlight: Rapid detection of ricin in milk using immunomagnetic separation combined with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Date: Jun 6, 2011
Author:
A rapid method that combined immunomagnetic separation and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy has been demonstrated for the detection of ricin in whole milk, the feasibility of a portable Raman instrument showing great promise for on-site detection in a processing facility.
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Pure uranium: a Raman first
Date: Jun 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
Scientists at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research in Tamil Nadu have carried out the first study of "pure" uranium using Raman spectroscopy. The fundamental research offers new insights into this radioactive metal and may even have implication for developments in nuclear energy.
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Journal Highlight: Raman spectroscopic mapping of the carbon and PTFE distribution in gas diffusion layers
Date: May 2, 2011
Author:
Raman microspectroscopy was used to gather spatially resolved chemical information on the carbon and poly(tetrafluoroethylene) distribution of fuel cell gas diffusion layers.
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