Why Agilent FTIR Spectroscopy Instruments are a Game Changer for Chemists

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Written By Charlotte Miller

Throughout history, technology has been used to better the lives of chemists in the lab. From microscopes that allow chemists to view their experiments more closely to analytical instruments that can help them detect compounds they would have never seen before; technology has made chemistry easier and more precise. Today, Agilent FTIR spectroscopy instruments are revolutionizing chemistry by providing scientists with insight into how the compounds they’re testing interact with each other. With FTIR spectroscopy, chemists can see how multiple compounds interact at once, which can make drug discovery research much easier and more efficient than it was in the past.

What is FTIR Spectroscopy?

IR spectroscopy stands for Infrared Spectroscopy. It measures and characterizes materials with infrared light. The IR spectrum is broken into 3 regions: near-infrared (NIR), mid-infrared (MIR) and far-infrared (FIR). NIR can be further broken down into short waves, mediumwave and longwave. NIR is typically used to measure the absorbance of samples at wavelengths from 700 to 2200 nm, while MIR can be used to measure absorbance from 4000 to 500 cm−1 (0.4–5 μm). FIR ranges from 5 to 30 μm and can be further divided into several sub-regions called atmospheric windows that contain characteristic absorption bands of gases in Earth’s atmosphere like water vapour, carbon dioxide, ozone etc. These regions are useful in measuring the moisture content of wood or grain by using an instrument called FT-NDVI analyzer.

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What does an IR instrument do?

IR spectroscopy is an analytical technique used to observe bonds and interactions between atoms by emitting light at certain frequencies and recording how they absorb or release energy. For example, IR spectrometers can be used to detect chemical bonds present in compounds or to track changes that occur as chemicals react with one another. 

The results provide information about what types of molecules are present and which ones remain unchanged, which is especially important in industrial settings where quality control measures must be taken during the mass production of goods. IR instruments have come a long way since their introduction nearly three decades ago—and so has our understanding of just how useful they can be.

Practical Uses for IR Instrumentation in Chemistry

Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is one of those analytical tools that may not be at your fingertips every day, but when you do need it, there’s almost nothing better. For example, IR instruments can help isolate useful elements and compounds from raw materials such as plants and minerals – without destroying their chemical structures. 

They can also play an integral role in determining if a drug is toxic or not by examining its absorption properties and IR spectrum. The entire pharmaceutical industry relies on spectrometers like these to ensure patient safety before drugs are released onto markets and into homes around the world.

The Advantages of IR Instrumentation Over Other Techniques

While X-ray crystallography, NMR, and other analytical techniques do have their uses, IR is one of most widely used techniques in industry and academia. This can be attributed to several factors: 1) it’s cheap and easy to set up an IR spectrometer; 2) measurements are fast; 3) it provides very high sensitivity (higher than X-ray diffraction); 4) it has more wide use—useful from element analysis through organic synthesis to complex compositional analyses.

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Choosing the Right Instrumentation For Your Application

There is no one size fits all when it comes to instrumentation. With thousands of applications and analysis methodologies, chemists will always need more than one solution. And because your specific application may require data from multiple instruments, you’ll want to be sure you have an instrument that is flexible enough to support your unique process needs in whatever environment you choose. 

To help solve these challenges and make sure you have an optimized spectroscopic solution, we’ve put together a list of questions that can help guide your decision process:

  •  What type of samples do I need to analyze? 
  • How quickly do I need results? 
  •  What kind of information do I need from my samples? 
  • Where am I running my experiments? 
  • Is cost a factor? 
  • Do I want to integrate with other analytical methods or instruments? 

The answers to these questions will help determine which type of instrumentation is best suited for your application. For example, if you’re looking at quantifying moisture content in soil using FTIR, then using a NIRS analyzer would not be optimal due to its lack of sensitivity.

Applications Include Sensing, Quality Control and Pharmaceutical Development, Forensics, Education, Materials Science and Life Sciences.

Simply put, IR spectroscopy makes it possible to determine what elements and compounds make up a material. There are many different types of IR spectrometers—some measure absorption, some reflectance, and some transmittance. Depending on what you’re trying to find out about your sample, one method or another might be used to achieve accurate results. For example, scanning transmission IR is one of several ways of performing infrared spectroscopy. 

Since most samples don’t change their molecular structure upon being scanned with an infrared light source (they just get hotter), that means there aren’t as many variables affecting test results when using STIR—something chemists really appreciate!

Ways to Save Money on IR Instrumentation Systems

IR instrumentation systems are expensive, and that can make budgeting difficult. At first glance, it’s hard to justify buying an IR spectrometer when there’s no way to really see how much value it adds to your current lab or testing procedures. But all hope is not lost! Here are some ways you can lower costs on your next IR instrumentation system Budget-Friendly Options: One of our favourite low-cost options is simply renting from one of several companies who rent out equipment. 

Companies like Agilent FTIR Spectroscopy Instruments offer users an array of different infrared spectrometers as well as other instruments such as gas chromatographs and HPLCs at very affordable rates. You’ll also save money by purchasing refurbished models; just make sure you check them thoroughly before committing to buy.

Conclusion

Thinking Outside the Box with FT-IR Technology: Modern chemists utilize many different types of instruments to aid in their research. Mass spectrometers, chromatographs, and microscopes can often be found in modern laboratories, but one type of instrument that is often overlooked by chemists is infrared (FT-IR) technology. It may seem like an intimidating tool—but it’s not difficult to learn how to use an infrared spectrometer; with just a little time and patience, you can start using these incredibly useful instruments on your own.