Electromagnetic radiation Spectroscopy Ultraviolet

Colorimetry, in which a sample absorbs visible light, is one example of a spectroscopic method of analysis. At the end of the nineteenth century, spectroscopy was limited to the absorption, emission, and scattering of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared electromagnetic radiation. During the twentieth century, spectroscopy has been extended to include other forms of electromagnetic radiation (photon spectroscopy), such as X-rays, microwaves, and radio waves, as well as energetic particles (particle spectroscopy), such as electrons and ions. ... 

The focus of this chapter is photon spectroscopy, using ultraviolet, visible, and infrared radiation. Because these techniques use a common set of optical devices for dispersing and focusing the radiation, they often are identified as optical spectroscopies. For convenience we will usually use the simpler term spectroscopy in place of photon spectroscopy or optical spectroscopy however, it should be understood that we are considering only a limited part of a much broader area of analytical methods. Before we examine specific spectroscopic methods, however, we first review the properties of electromagnetic radiation. 

In absorption spectroscopy a beam of electromagnetic radiation passes through a sample. Much of the radiation is transmitted without a loss in intensity. At selected frequencies, however, the radiation s intensity is attenuated. This process of attenuation is called absorption. Two general requirements must be met if an analyte is to absorb electromagnetic radiation. The first requirement is that there must be a mechanism by which the radiation s electric field or magnetic field interacts with the analyte. For ultraviolet and visible radiation, this interaction involves the electronic energy of valence electrons. A chemical bond s vibrational energy is altered by the absorbance of infrared radiation. A more detailed treatment of this interaction, and its importance in deter-... 

Molecular absorption spectroscopy deals with measurement of the ultraviolet-visible spectrum of electromagnetic radiation transmitted or reflected by a sample as a function of the wavelength. Ordinarily, the intensity of the energy transmitted is compared to that transmitted by some other system that serves as a standard. 

Spectroscopy produces spectra which arise as a result of interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter. The type of interaction (electronic or nuclear transition, molecular vibration or electron loss) depends upon the wavelength of the radiation (Tab. 7.1). The most widely applied techniques are infrared (IR), Mossbauer, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), and in recent years, various forms ofX-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy which probe the local structure of the elements. Less widely used techniques are Raman spectroscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), secondary ion imaging mass spectroscopy (SIMS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), electron spin resonance (ESR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. 

Like other phenomena involving interactions between electromagnetic radiation and organic molecules, as in infrared, ultraviolet, and nmr spectroscopy, optical rotatory dispersion curves often are quite sensitive to small changes in structure. As an example, the rotatory dispersion curves for enantiomers of cis- and trcMr-lO-methyl-2-decalones, 16 and 17, are reproduced in Figure 19-7 ... 

Spectroscopy is another method used to detect art forgeries. In spectroscopy, electromagnetic radiation is applied to the substance or substances under consideration. The resulting spectra are recorded to identify the chemical composition of the substance or substances. When a spectrophotometer is used, the radiation, usually visible and invisible ultraviolet waves, can be applied to a solution in a tube, and the absorption of radiation is noted. For this type of analysis, a spectrophotometer must be available. 

In a typical spectrophotometer, a dissolved compound is exposed to electromagnetic radiation with a continuous spread in wavelength. The radiation passing through or absorbed is recorded on a chart against the wavelength or wave number. Absorption peaks are plotted as minima in infrared, and usually as maxima in ultraviolet spectroscopy. 

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