Authors


Li Zhong

Latest:

A Genetic Algorithm–Optimized Extreme Learning Machine Model for Process Ethylene Analysis Robustness Enhancement

Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) is combined with an extreme learning machine (ELM) model, tailored by genetic algorithm (GA) parameter searching, to produce a more robust analytical method for trace gas analysis of ethylene.


Maciej Bromirski

Latest:

Monitoring for Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl (PFAS) with Advanced Mass Spectrometry– Based Methods

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of potentially thousands of synthetic compounds that have long been used in the manufacture of a variety of common products with stain-repellent and nonstick properties. Their signature strong fluorine and carbon bonds make them difficult to break down and, as a result, they are among the most persistent of today’s environmental pollutants. Alarmingly, PFAS can be found in drinking water and have been shown to accumulate in the body with the potential to cause multiple health problems, such as hormone disruption and cancer. Advances in mass spectrometry have facilitated the detection of known PFAS contaminants as well as the identification of poorly studied and novel compounds in watersheds. This article explores the detection of known and novel PFAS contaminants in aqueous film-forming foams and raw drinking water sources in North Carolina, using new advances in mass spectrometry and data acquisition to improve identification and quantitation.


Xintian Li

Latest:

Measurement of Ammonia Leakage by TDLAS in Mid-Infrared Combined with an EMD-SG Filter Method

In this article, tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) is used to measure ammonia leakage, where a new denoising method combining empirical mode decomposition with the Savitzky-Golay smoothing algorithm (EMD-SG) is proposed to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of absorbance signals.


Xi Pan

Latest:

Identification of Five Similar Cinnamomum Wood Species Using Portable Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Portable NIR spectroscopy, combined with discrimination analysis (PLS-DA), can be used to rapidly and accurately identify five very similar wood species of the Cinnamomum genus.


R. Alvarez-Fernandez Garcia

Latest:

Towards Automated Routine Analysis of the Distribution of Trace Elements in Single Cells Using ICP-MS

Analysis of the compositional variation in living cells is essential for understanding biological processes. Single-cell elemental analysis by triple-quadrupole ICP-MS is emerging as a selective, highly sensitive, and potentially high-throughput technique for the study of constitutive elements, and uptake of metallodrugs (or metal-containing nanomaterials) in single cells.


Cuilan Qu

Latest:

Porous Chitosan Composite Membrane Tandem Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Detection of Metal Elements in Liquid Samples

Detecting metal elements in liquid samples cannot be done efficiently by only using LIBS, but when the technique is combined with appropriate membrane materials, rapid analysis of solution samples can be realized.



Qing Zhang

Latest:

A Raman Spectral Area Scanning Method to Identify the Sequences of Crossed Writings and Seal Stamps

Determining the printing sequences of crossed writings and seal stamps is often difficult because the most common methods used are expensive, time-consuming, and cumbersome. A new method using Raman spectral area scanning offers a better alternative while conducting pigment analysis and determining intersection sequences of writings and seal stamps. We explain why.


Dave Briggs

Latest:

The Story of ESCA: An Interview with Nobel Prize Winner Kai Siegbahn

In this interview, originally published in European Spectroscopy News 44 in 1982, Dave Briggs sat down with 1981 Nobel Prize winner Kai Manne Börje Siegbahn to discuss his career and work in spectroscopy.



Jing Sun

Latest:

Rapid Quantitative Method in the Determination of Total Flavonoids in Tibetan Medicine Meconopsis integrifolia (Maxim.) Franch. from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau by Near Infrared Spectroscopy

This study aimed to establish a fast, accurate method for quality evaluation of herbal medicine using NIR and chemometrics with ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-vis) as a standard method to determine the total flavonoids content.


Hongbo Li

Latest:

Exploring the Potential of the Yb(III) (HE)4 Complex for Oncotherapy Using UV-vis Spectroscopy

Evaluation of the UV-vis spectra of the reaction product of ytterbium (III) with hematoxylin (HE) indicates the formation of a rare earth complex that further reacts with marine mammal DNA, indicating the potential that this complex may have anti-tumor properties.


Bisirat Araya

Latest:

A Corrosive Liquid Investigated by Diamond ATR Infrared Spectroscopy

Because of their corrosive properties, corrosive lipids are challenging to analyze by ATR-FT-IR. Repeated and prolonged analysis can damage many ATR crystals. Diamond ATR is a better choice for such applications than other ATR crystal materials like ZnSe and Ge. This application note examines a corrosive liquid as it becomes progressively more concentrated using diamond ATR.


Agalya Palanisamy

Latest:

FT-IR Analysis of pH and Xylitol Driven Conformational Changes of Ovalbumin–Amide VI Band Study

This study uses Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy to analyze how the globular protein ovalbumin's secondary structures transition under varying pH conditions in the presence of the cosolvent xylitol, highlighting the role of noncovalent interactions in these conformational changes.


Weiqiang Pi

Latest:

Identification and Classification of Degradation-Indicator Grass Species in a Desertified Steppe Based on HSI-UAV

Utilizing a low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a hyperspectral remote-sensing system can identify key grass species indicating grassland degradation, developing an ASI index and classification rules and leveraging spectral differences and plant senescence reflectance to effectively monitor and evaluate grassland conditions and degradation.


Xiaobo Chen

Latest:

Fluorescence Quenching Effects of Fe3+ Ions on Carbon Dots

The “selective fluorescence quenching effects” of Fe3+ ions on carbon dots are examined to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the interactions of metal ions with a variety of fluorescent materials.


Alexander B. Fialkov

Latest:

Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) with Cold Electron Ionization (EI): Bridging the Gap Between GC–MS and LC–MS

Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) with cold electron ionization (EI) is based on interfacing the GC and MS instruments with supersonic molecular beams (SMB) along with electron ionization of vibrationally cold sample compounds in SMB in a fly-through ion source (hence the name cold EI). GC–MS with cold EI improves all the central performance aspects of GC–MS. These aspects include enhanced molecular ions, improved sample identification, an extended range of compounds amenable for analysis, uniform response to all analytes, faster analysis, greater selectivity, and lower detection limits. In GC–MS with cold EI, the GC elution temperatures can be significantly lowered by reducing the column length and increasing the carrier gas flow rate. Furthermore, the injector temperature can be reduced using a high column flow rate, and sample degradation at the cold EI fly-through ion source is eliminated. Thus, a greater range of thermally labile and low volatility compounds can be analyzed. The extension of the range of compounds and applications amenable for analysis is the most important benefit of cold EI that bridges the gap with LC–MS. Several examples of GC–MS with cold EI applications are discussed including cannabinoids analysis, synthetic organic compounds analysis, and lipids in blood analysis for medical diagnostics.


Karthik Jayaraman

Latest:

Applications of Raman Spectroscopy in Solvent Distillation and Exchange During Early-Phase Chemical Synthesis

The case studies presented here successfully demonstrate the use of inline Raman spectroscopic analysis to estimate solvent content during the solvent exchange and distillation operations in the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients.


Rui Wang

Latest:

Porous Chitosan Composite Membrane Tandem Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Detection of Metal Elements in Liquid Samples

Detecting metal elements in liquid samples cannot be done efficiently by only using LIBS, but when the technique is combined with appropriate membrane materials, rapid analysis of solution samples can be realized.


Chenhui Li

Latest:

Spectral Sensing Using a Handheld NIR Module Based on a Fully Integrated Sensor Chip

A novel approach to NIR spectral sensing, using a miniaturized fully-integrated multipixel array of resonant-cavity-enhanced InGaAs photodetectors, enables sensors with a millimeter-scale footprint and wafer-scale fabrication. This multipixel sensor does not measure the full spectrum, but rather a limited number of spectral regions with limited resolution (50–100 nm).



Shuanggen Huang

Latest:

Identifying Doxycycline Hydrochloride and Tylosin in Chicken Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

An increasing number of antibiotic residue problems in food have emerged around the world. We examine how SERS is used to identify antibiotic residues in chicken, focusing on doxycycline hydrochloride and tylosin.


Don M. J. van Elst

Latest:

Spectral Sensing Using a Handheld NIR Module Based on a Fully Integrated Sensor Chip

A novel approach to NIR spectral sensing, using a miniaturized fully-integrated multipixel array of resonant-cavity-enhanced InGaAs photodetectors, enables sensors with a millimeter-scale footprint and wafer-scale fabrication. This multipixel sensor does not measure the full spectrum, but rather a limited number of spectral regions with limited resolution (50–100 nm).


Thomas M. Hancewicz

Latest:

Analysis of Infrared and Raman Imaging Data Using Alternating and Modified Alternating Least Squares

This study explores the enhanced performance of modified alternating least squares (MALS) over alternating least squares (ALS) in analyzing infrared and Raman image spectral data, highlighting the stability and computational efficiency of MALS.


Mike Hennessy Sr.

Latest:

How Pharmaceutical Innovation is Saving the World

The COVID-19 vaccine, and the speed at which it was developed, is the medical breakthrough of our lifetimes.


Leanne Anderson

Latest:

Analysis of Elements in Snack Foods: A Closer Look at Pepperoni, Rice Noodles, Frozen Dinners, and Pizza

Software tools for ICP-MS and ICP-OES can help analysts to simplify method setup and reduce the potential for errors.


Mark R. Witkowski

Latest:

The Use of X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) and Vibrational Spectroscopic Techniques in the Analysis of Suspect Pharmaceutical Products

Here, we compare XRD and FT-IR for analysis of suspect counterfeit pharmaceuticals to determine how the techniques can be used in a complementary fashion.


Andreas Latza

Latest:

Real-Time Chemometric Analysis of Multicomponent Bioprocesses Using Raman Spectroscopy

In this study, a glycerol-fed, lab-scale E. coli bioprocess producing representative pharmaceutical compounds was monitored offline with a portable, high-sensitivity Raman spectrometer.


Ling Gao

Latest:

Comparative Study of Heavy Metals Analysis in Mongolian Medicines Based on High Sensitivity X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy and ICP-MS

In this study, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy was used to analyze heavy metals in five traditional Mongolian medicines, and the results were compared to those obtained using ICP-MS.


Martin M. Kimani

Latest:

Analysis of Unlabeled Sibutramine in Dietary Supplements Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) with Handheld Devices

This article discusses how FT-IR and SERS is being used to detect counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs.