Infrared spectroscopy total internal reflection cell

An infrared spectrum is a plot of percent radiation absorbed versus the frequency of the incident radiation given in wavenumbers (cm ) or in wave length ( xm). A variation of this method, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, is used for samples with poor transmittance, e.g. cubic hematite crystals. Increased resolution and sensitivity as well as more rapid collection of data is provided by Fourier-transform-IR (FTIR), which averages a large number of spectra. Another IR technique makes use of attenuated total reflectance FTIR (ATR-FTIR) often using a cylindrical internal reflectance cell (CIR) (e.g. Tejedor-Tejedor Anderson, 1986). ATR enables wet systems and adsorbing species to be studied in situ. 

Numerous books cover the topic of sampling methods in infrared spectroscopy (see, e.g., references [10-12]), and a detailed description of all the various alternatives is beyond the scope of this chapter. Instead, we will focus on the two sampling methods that are most commonly employed in food analysis applications, namely, the use of transmission cells for recording the spectra of solutions and the total internal reflection technique, also known as attenuated total reflectance (ATR). Readers who wish to learn about the techniques not covered here may consult the references cited above. 

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