IR Spectroscopy R
IR Spectroscopy R
IR Spectroscopy R
Content
• Introduction
• Principle
• Types of Vibrations
• Instrumentation
• Application of IR Spectroscopy
• Infrared spectroscopy is the measurement of the interaction of IR radiation with
compounds.
Introduction
• IR region involves the range between region 4000-400 cm-1 (780nm to 1mm)
• IR radiation causes the excitation of molecules from lower to higher vibrational
levels.
• Near IR (780-1.4µm), Mid IR (1.4-3µm) and far IR (3µm-1mm)
• It is basically used in identification of compound by determining its structure and
functional groups
Principle
Stretching Bending
b) Twisting: In this, one atom moves up the plane and the other moves down with respect to the
central atoms.(3)
Reference
Instrumentation
1. Radiation source
2. Sample cells and sampling of substances
3. Monochromators
4. Detectors
5. Recorder
1. Radiation Sources
• IR instruments require a source of radiant energy which emits IR radiation which
must be steady, intense enough for detection, and extend over the desired wavelength.
• Various sources of IR radiations are as follows.
1. Nernst glower
2. Incandescent lamp
3. Mercury arc
4. Tungsten lamp
5. Nichrome wire
2. Sample cells and sampling of substances:
• IR spectroscopy has been used for the characterization of solid, liquid, or gas samples.
i. Solid – Various techniques are used for preparing solid samples such as pressed
pellet technique, solid run in solution, solid films, mull technique, etc.
ii. Liquid – Samples can be held using a liquid sample cell made of alkali halides.
Aqueous solvents cannot be used as they will dissolve alkali halides. Only organic
solvents like chloroform can be used.
iii. Gas– Sampling of gas is similar to the sampling of liquids.
3. Monochromators:
Various types of monochromators are prism, gratings filters.
Prisms are made of Potassium bromide, Sodium chloride or Caesium iodide.
Filters are made up of Lithium Fluoride and Diffraction gratings are made up of alkali
halides.
4. Detectors:
• Detectors are used to measure the intensity of unabsorbed infrared radiation.
• Detectors like thermocouples, Bolometers, thermistors, Golay cell, and pyro-electric
detectors are used.
5. Recorders:
• Recorders are used to record the IR spectrum.
• A thermocouple is a type of thermal detector that places two
different metals (e.g. bismuth and antimony together). When
the metals are heated by IR radiation, a small voltage,
proportional to the temperature at the junction between the 2
metals, is sent out (the Peltier effect).
• A bolometer is a thermal infrared detector. In order to obtain
significant heating it must be thermally insulated from its heat
sink (typically the substrate) by a support having a low thermal
conductance G.
• Thermistor bolometers are fast, sensitive infrared detectors
with good responsivity from 1 to 15 microns. The detectors
consist of a thin flake of thermistor material mounted on a
thermal sink. The time constant of the detectors is determined
by the type of thermal sink on which the flakes are mounted.
• The Golay cell detector consists of a small metal cylinder enclosed by a rigid metal plate.
• Separated by a flexible membrane or diaphragm, the chamber encloses an IR-active gas
on one side and an LED light source (focused on the membrane) on the other.
• When the IR radiation falls on the chamber, the gas absorbs the radiation and expands
due to the heat generated.
• The resultant increase in the pressure causes the diaphragm to deform.
• The LED light focusing on the membrane deflects and the beam gets reflected toward
the photodiode array detector.
• The fraction of the beam reaching the photodiode depends on the curvature of the
flexible membrane which in turn depends on the IR radiation absorbed by the gas and
which in turn depends on the IR radiation that has reached the detector.
• Golay cell detector can be used in the far IR region where the radiation energy is less.
Golay cell
Applications:
• It has been of great significance to scientific researchers in many fields such as:
• Protein characterization
• Space exploration.
• Analysis of gaseous, liquid or solid samples
• Identification of compounds
• Quantitative analysis(5)