Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)
FTIR spectroscopy is a powerful analytical technique for the qualitative and quantitative determination of unknown organic substances using reference spectra.
Fingerprint analysis
Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) uses infrared light. This analysis is based on the excitation of energy states in molecules. A typical IR spectrum ranges from 4000 cm-1 to 400 cm-1.
FTIR spectroscopy is also used for structure elucidation of unknown substances. The IR spectrum leaves a typical pattern for each molecule. Outside a wavenumber of < 1500 cm-1, the spectrum can hardly be inferred more than from specific molecule groups. This is the so-called fingerprint area. If a reference spectrum is available, this “fingerprint” can clearly identify a molecule of a pure substance. In practice, however, there are usually no pure substances present, which makes it difficult to determine the exact composition. In order to solve a given problem, however, it is often sufficient to analyse a group of substances using the IR spectrum.
Applications:
- Quality control of incoming and outgoing goods
- Analyses of polymers and other materials in thermogravimetric infrared (TGA-IR)
- Microanalysis of small sections of materials to identify contaminants
- Analysis of thin films and coatings
- Monitoring of emissions from vehicles or chimneys
- Fault analysis