In the modern chemistry lab, Raman spectrophotometry has been shown to be a very powerful instrumental technique, useful for both qualitative and quantitative analysis of molecular compounds. It can be used to determine the structure of a molecule as well as the bonds present in it, examining surfaces of solids, or anywhere that non-destructive forms of spectrophotometry could be desired. The issue that arises with Raman spectroscopy, however, is that in purchasing an instrument capable of performing spectroscopic analysis, the cost can become a huge factor and can limit whether or not one can even be purchased. A commercially manufactured Raman spectrometer can cost tens of thousands of dollars. It has been shown that by using custom coding and buying used parts whenever possible, a functioning Raman spectrometer can be constructed for a total cost of $3,246.57.

Building a low cost Raman spectrometer

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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