Qualifying the Performance of the
QE Pro-Raman+ Spectrometer
Application Note
Modular spectrometer systems allow for great flexibility in
KEYWORDS benchtop laboratory measurement, and can be configured
• Back-thinned CCD array into setups ideal for integration into process lines.
spectrometer
• Sensitivity
One such instrument family is the Ocean Equipment Used
Optics QE Pro spectrometer platform.
• Organic solvents The QE Pro is a back-thinned CCD array
Our modular Raman setup (Figure 1)
comprised the QE Pro-Raman+
spectrometer that meets the signal to
spectrometer, 785 nm Raman excitation
noise, dynamic range and sensitivity
TECHNIQUES laser and safety goggles, Raman probe
criteria necessary for Raman and low light
• Raman spectroscopy level applications.
and sample holder, and spectroscopy
software. Variations of this setup are
• Surface Enhanced Raman
To demonstrate key performance readily available.
Spectroscopy (SERS)
improvements in the QE Pro-Raman+, we
compared it with a similar back-thinned
APPLICATIONS CCD array spectrometer over a series of
Raman measurements.
• Solvents measurement
• Pesticide detection
• Trace level analysis
Figure 1. Illustration of component parts
of modular Raman equipment. SERS
US +1 727-733-2447 substrates can be integrated into systems
like this to further enhance sensitivity.
EUROPE +31 26-3190500
ASIA +86 21-6295-6600
[email protected] • www.oceanoptics.com
Measurement Set 1
To demonstrate the enhanced sensitivity of the QE Pro-
Raman+, we measured a series of organic solvents. Organic
solvents typically have strong and repeatable Raman scattering
characteristics, so they work very well as standards against
which to compare system performance.
Measurements were performed in OceanView spectroscopy
software, applying a 1 second integration time and a single scan
to average. The software’s “CleanPeaks” function was applied
to flatten the baseline of the resulting spectra. Clean- Peaks is
a built-in algorithm that can be applied to raw Raman spectra to
remove the baseline and any fluorescence.
The results for acetone, isopropanol and methanol are shown in
Figures 2-4. Figure 4. The range of the QE Pro-Raman+ is advantageous when
measuring samples such as methanol, which has strong peaks
around 3000 cm-1.
Measurement Set 2
For our next set of measurements, we took 6 QE Pro-Raman+
spectrometers and measured a sample of cyclohexane, with all
other system components remaining the same. The integration
time in every case was 1 second. This provided insight into
the range of sensitivities that can be expected across multiple
instruments.
While not all spectrometers were identical in performance,
the quality of results was highly consistent (Figure 5). This
consistency suggests the spectrometer will work well for quality
control and similar applications where repeatability is vital.
Figure 2. Comparison between an older-model back-thinned CCD
array spectrom- eter and the QE Pro-Raman+ for acetone at a 1
second integration time.
Figure 5. As these series of measurements demonstrate, the QE Pro-
Raman+ offers a high degree of unit-to-unit consistency.
Figure 3. In measurements of isopropanol, the increased sensitivity
of the QE Pro-Raman+ is evident.
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Measurement Set 3
Modular, back-thinned CCD array spectrometers like the QE
Pro-Raman+ are also well suited to surface-enhanced Raman
spectroscopy, which allows very low levels of analyte to be
detected using colloidal nanoparticles. To test this, we used a
SERS gold nanoparticle colloid to detect trace amounts of the
fungicide thiram.
Initially, we added 40 uL of 1 ppm thiram to 1 mL liquid SERS.
This concentration was determined as relevant from tolerances
established by the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations for residues
of the fungicide thiram (tetramethyl thiuram disulfide) in or on
raw agricultural commodities as follows:
Figure 6. After adding SERS gold nanoparticles to a thiram
COMMODITY PARTS PER MILLION measurement setup, the sensitivity improvement with QE Pro-
Raman+ is even more pronounced.
Apple 7.0
Banana 0.8 Summary
Increased sensitivity relative to comparable back-thinned CCD
Peach 7.0 array spectrometers was clearly and consistently demonstrated
in the QE Pro-Raman+. The importance of increased sensitivity is
Strawberry 7.0 evident in limits of detection studies, since the signal will remain
detectable over the noise floor at ever diminished concentrations.
Source: Federal Register, Thiram; Pesticide Tolerance, A Rule
by the Environmental Protection Agency on 09/23/2009
(federalregister.gov)
The resulting SERS spectra (Figure 6) clearly demonstrated
that thiram at 1 ppm concentration was well within regulatory
detection limits for both spectrometers, with even more dramatic
results with the QE Pro-Raman+ spectrometer
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