I will describe some meaningful spectroscopy exercises that allow students to learn about Raman spectroscopy, despite using inexpensive equipment. I and colleagues have successfully used these in physical chemistry lab at UW Oshkosh. These exercises allow the students to compare the techniques of transmission, fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy using the same equipment. Only the light sources vary. An important goal of these exercises is to help students develop a more complete understanding of the mechanics of spectroscopy than most seem to get from using modern “blackbox” instruments. The core of the experiment is a Heath EU-700 monochromator and photomultiplier system extracted from an atomic absorption instrument that was new in 1968. For light sources we have successfully used an incandescent bulb, a LED bulb, 532 nm and 405 nm laser pointers, as well as the sub-nanosecond doubled and tripled output of a pulsed diode pumped YAG. Some alternative options and tweaks for the dispersive element and detector system will also be discussed. These exercises could be performed using more costly, modern equipment such as an imaging spectrograph with a good ccd detector, while skipping the exploration of the interior optics.

Raman as part of a meaningful spectroscopy experience on a modest budget

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.