Applications

Graphene is the thinnest material known to exist, whilst also being extremely strong - around 200 times stronger than steel. Graphene is an excellent conductor of electricity and heat as is optically transparent. The applications of graphene are extensive, and include energy storage, photodetectors, and computer chips.

Semicrystalline polymers are the largest group of commercially produced plastics. Heating and cooling of these polymers between phase transitions is used industrially to shape polymers into their final product. In this application note the RMS1000, with a heated stage, is used to observe phase transitions in two polymers; polyethylene, and nylon-6.

Cooking oils are one of the main components of the human diet. Adulteration of extra virgin olive oil with cheaper oils is a common problem in food fraud. This application note highlights how Raman spectroscopy in combination with chemometrics can be used to identify cooking oil adulteration.

Microplastic pollution is a growing environmental issue. Identification is crucial for assessing their risk to the environment, wildlife, and mankind. Raman microscopy is a great tool for the identification of small microplastics. This application note explores how the RM5 Raman Microscope combined with the KnowItAll Raman database can be used to identify polymers commonly found in the Earths aquatic systems.

In this application note, we demonstrate how transient absorption spectroscopy and temperature-dependent measurements can be employed to investigate and understand the nature of photoexcited triplet states of a molecule.

Surfaced enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is an enhancement technique in which nanoparticles are used to provide Raman intensity enhancement. In this application note the optimisation of gold nanoparticles are investigated for the development of a SERS glucose sensor.

In this application note, the measurement of sub 20 picosecond lifetimes utilising the FLS1000 Photoluminescence Spectrometer equipped with a hybrid photodetector is demonstrated, and the impact that the configuration of the FLS1000 has on the minimum lifetime that can be measured is discussed.

Researchers in Fujian, China, led by Rong Cao and Zu-Jin Lin, have developed a new method for sensing ClO- employing fluorescence spectroscopy and novel metal organic frameworks. The authors used an Edinburgh Instruments FS5 Spectrofluorometer to characterize and optimise the sensor’s response towards ClO- . They then employed this sensor to detect ascorbic acid, an essential nutrient for the human body.

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have unique tuneable photoluminescence properties which lend them to a range of important technological applications including solid-state lighting, displays, photovoltaics, and biomedical imaging. Indium phosphide (InP) QDs have attracted significant interest as an environmentally friendly and non-toxic alternative to traditional heavy metal based QDs containing cadmium and lead.

The ability of plants to live, thrive and survive on sunlight provides unsurpassed motivation to understand and mimic this process for solar energy production. In this application note, Edinburgh Instrument's LP980 Transient Absorption Spectrometer is used to measure energy and electron transfer events.