Fingerprinting techniques infrared spectroscopy

If a simple qualitative identification of a plastic is all that is required then fingerprinting techniques discussed in Chapter 6 may suffice. Fingerprinting instrumentation discussed include glass transition, pyrolysis techniques, infrared spectroscopy, pyrolysis - Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and radio frequency slow discharge mass spectrometry. 

Infrared spectroscopy, which is recognised as an analytical technique with high selectivity and fingerprinting ability for molecular compounds, can be used... 

The main spectrometric identification techniques employed are gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) (13), liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS(/MS)) (14), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) (11), and/or gas chromatography/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (GC/FL1R) (15). Each of these spectrometric techniques provides a spectrum that is characteristic of a chemical. MS and NMR spectra provide (detailed) structural information (like a fingerprint ), whereas an FUR spectrum provides information on functional groups. 

Infrared (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) are valuable fingerprinting techniques for molecular compounds. They can also give information on new compounds about functional groups present and molecular symmetry. Visible/UV absorption spectroscopy and other techniques are usefiil for investigating electronic structure. 

Mid-infrared (IR) spectroscopy is a well-established technique for the identification and structural analysis of chemical compounds. The peaks in the IR spectrum of a sample represent the excitation of vibrational modes of the molecules in the sample and thus are associated with the various chemical bonds and functional groups present in the molecules. Thus, the IR spectrum of a compound is one of its most characteristic physical properties and can be regarded as its "fingerprint." Infrared spectroscopy is also a powerful tool for quantitative analysis as the amount of infrared energy absorbed by a compound is proportional to its concentration. However, until recently, IR spectroscopy has seen fairly limited application in both the qualitative and the quantitative analysis of food systems, largely owing to experimental limitations. 

I suggest the use of infrared spectroscopy for the laboratory tests. Samples of the him can be mounted in the path of the infrared light beam in an infrared spectrometer and the resulting infrared transmission spectra recorded. If your staff is not familiar with infrared spectroscopy or the interpretation of infrared transmission spectra, you might allow them some time to read some basic reference material on this technique. I can provide that for you. The transmission spectrum recorded by the spectrometer is like a fingerprint of the material in the path of the light. It is a pattern that is observed each time that material is tested. 

Quantitative infrared spectroscopy suffers certain disadvantages when compared with other analytical techniques and thus it tends to be confined to specialist applications. However, there are certain applications where it is used because it is cheaper or faster. The technique is often used for the analysis of one component of a mixture, particularly when the compounds in the mixture are alike chemically or haye very similar physical properties, e.g. structural isomers. In these cases, analysis by using ultraviolet/visible spectroscopy is difficult because the spectra of the components will be almost identical Chromatographic analysis may be of limited use because the separation of isomers, for example, is difficult to achieve. The infrared spectra of isomers are usually quite different in the fingerprint region. Another advantage of the infrared technique is that it is non-destructive and requires only a relatively small amount of sample. 

The search for faster screening methods capable of characterizing propolis samples of different geographic origins and composition has lead to the use of direct insertion mass sp>ectrometric fingerprinting techniques (ESf-MS and EASI-MS), which has proven to be a fast and robust method for propoHs characterization (Sawaya et al., 2011), although this analytical approach can only detect compoimds that ionize under the experimental conditions. Similarly, Fourier transform infrared vibrational spectroscopy (FITR) has also demonstrated to be valuable to chemically characterize complex matrices such as propolis (Wu et al, 2008). 

In mid-infrared spectroscopy, Fourier transform instruments are used almost exclusively. However, in Raman spectroscopy both conventional dispersive and Fourier transform techniques have their applications, the choice being governed by several factors [133], [134]. Consequently, a modern Raman laboratory is equipped with both Fourier transform and CCD-based dispersive instruments. For a routine fingerprint analysis, the FT system is generally used, because it requires less operator skill and is quicker to set up the FT system is also be tried first if samples are highly fluorescent or light sensitive. However, if the utmost sensitivity is required, or if Raman lines with a shift smaller than 100 cm" are to be recorded, conventional spectrometers are usually preferred. 

Infrared spectroscopy is a family of techniques that can be used to identify chemical bonds. When improved by Fourier transform mathematical techniques, the resulting test is known as FTIR. An FTIR scan can be used to identify compounds rather in the same way as fingerprints are used to identify humans an FTIR scan of the sample is compared to the FTIR scans of known compounds. If a positive match is found, the sample has been identified an example is shown in Figure 8.8. Not surprisingly, FTIR results are sometimes called fingerprints by analytical chemists. 

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