Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy is a tremendously popular technique nowadays, due to its unique combination of sensitivity, flexibility, specificity and resilience. Able to cope with solid, liquid and gaseous analytes, it has become one of the most commonly utilized analytical instrumental techniques in science.
Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy is a tremendously popular technique nowadays, due to its unique combination of sensitivity, flexibility, specificity and resilience. Able to cope with solid, liquid and gaseous analytes, it has become one of the most commonly utilized analytical instrumental techniques in science. FTIR is widely used in a wide range of industries, including food and beverage, chemical, engineering, environmental, pharmaceutical, and biomass, as well as in clinical settings, despite a number of known limitations, including its relative intolerance of water and sensitivity to the physical properties of the analysis matrix.
How does FTIR operate?
In the middle of the 1940s, infrared spectrophotometers were created. At first, they were mostly used in the petrochemical industry and for research on organic chemicals. Initially, these devices were sluggish dispersive scanning spectrophotometers. Since dispersive instruments can be more easily and affordably shrunk to create tiny, palm-top devices with basic operating systems that run on mobile phones, they are still in use today and have found new uses in innovative applications.
FTIR data collection and analysis
Nowadays, a wide variety of FTIR equipment and adaptable, interchangeable attachments are available, enabling the analysis of gaseous, liquid, and solid samples of various shapes and sizes using a single fundamental device. It should be noted that all instrument optics and sampling attachments must be made of other appropriate IR optical materials because regular glass is not mid-IR transmissible. The analyte had to be pulverized and combined with IR-transmissible substrates, usually potassium bromide (KBr), under high pressure into a tiny, transparent, solid disk in order to use the early methods designed for solid samples. After that, these were put in a holder so that transmission measurements could be taken. Two of these IR-transmissible discs were frequently separated by a tiny spacer to generate thin films of liquid (non-water containing) samples. This approach had problems with reproducibility and time.
The use of alternatives has grown over the past 30 years, particularly the increasingly commonplace “ATR” (attenuated total reflectance) approaches. With the use of this technology, a spectrum can be obtained in a matter of seconds using tiny amounts of liquid or solid material deposited onto a crystal window without the need for actual sample preparation. A top fixing clamp securely presses the solids onto the crystal window for analysis. This type of device is now used in the majority of documented applications for solid samples. For particular purposes, additional device types are also available, such as gas sample sealed cells or a reflecting hemisphere for diffuse reflectance.
What is the purpose of FTIR?
When assessing industrially created materials, FTIR spectroscopy is a well-established method for quality control that is frequently used as the initial stage of the material examination procedure. It is obvious that a change in the material’s composition or the presence of contamination is indicated by a change in the distinctive pattern of absorption bands. If visual inspection reveals product issues, FTIR microanalysis is usually used to identify the source. This method works well for examining the chemical makeup of both broad surface regions and tiny particles, usually 10–50 microns.
Utilizing FTIR analysis, one can:
Determine and describe unknown materials, such as liquids, solids, films, or powders.
Determine whether a material (such as particles, fibers, powders, or liquids) is contaminated.
After being extracted from a polymer matrix, identify the additives.
Determine whether oxidation, breakdown, or uncured monomers are present in failure analysis investigations.
This section serves as your beginning point for learning about FTIR it explains what “FTIR” is and how it operates. Additionally, we present the primary sample methods and give a more thorough rundown of how they might be applied to address your inquiries.
An FTIR instrument employs an interferometer, which consists of a source, beam splitter, two mirrors, a laser and a detector. The energy goes from the source to the beam splitter which splits the beam into two parts. A moving mirror receives one portion, while a stationary mirror receives the other. With the help of the calibrating laser’s response, the moving mirror oscillates at a steady speed.
Overview of FTIR Spectroscopy
Numerous analytical options in academic, analytical, QA/QC, and forensic labs are provided by FTIR spectroscopy. FTIR has a broad range of chemical applications, particularly for polymers and organic chemicals, and is deeply embedded in everything from basic compound identification to process and regulatory monitoring. Watch the tutorials below to learn more about the fundamentals and the benefits of this well-liked method. Videos also give a brief introduction to the apodization function and two popular detectors.
