In the last month, the laboratory acquired an infrared spectroscopy equipment using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), model IRTracer-100 from Shimadzu. The spectrometer has been installed, and laboratory members have received technical training to operate it.
Infrared spectroscopy measures the absorption of radiation in the infrared (IR) range by the chemical bonds of the material. The most commonly used region in infrared spectroscopy is the mid-infrared region, ranging from 4000 to 400 cm-1, where absorption bands due to the fundamental vibrations of molecules appear. Chemical structural fragments of molecules, known as functional groups, tend to absorb IR radiation at specific frequency ranges. This correlation between the molecule’s structure and the absorption of IR radiation at a particular wavelength allows the identification of unknown molecule structures and the monitoring of their structural or chemical changes.
The acquired spectrophotometer is equipped with a series of accessories that enable the instrument to operate in different modes, the main ones being sample holder for transmission through the preparation of KBr pellets and attenuated total reflection (ATR). The diffuse reflectance (DRIFTS) module is being acquired and will allow in-situ analysis.
Preparation of KBr pellets for the analysis of heterogeneous catalysts in FTIR by transmission.
Students who participated in the training to operate the FTIR.