Fluorescence-Free Raman at 785nm

Raman spectroscopy is used around the globe for identification of unknowns, verification of raw materials, basic R&D, and process monitoring and control. The most commonly deployed technology is based on 785 nm lasers and detectors that leverage innovations from the telecommunications boom in the 1990s. However, this technology has been fundamentally limited by fluorescence interference that overpowers the Raman signal. The most common ways to overcome fluorescence have all had significant drawbacks around cost, safety and sample preparation – until now.

Developed for first responders to help identify unknowns in street narcotics, eXTRaction (XTR) technology uses advanced digital signal processing to separate Raman data from a background. With XTR, 785 nm Raman can be extended to difficult-to-analyze systems.

In this webinar, Dr. Adam J. Hopkins and Elena Hagemann will explain how XTR works and show different use cases for both qualitative and quantitative measurements, including biodiesel and polyurethane production.

Who should attend?

• QA departments looking to extend raw material identification outside the lab
• Researchers looking for flexible Raman measurement solutions for a variety of materials
• Anyone measuring complex media that is too fluorescent for 785 nm Raman spectroscopy
• Process development engineers and scientists looking for upstream/development solutions that can scale with production

Key learning points

• XTR processing enables Raman measurements of fluorescent materials
• Quantitative measurement performance is not adversely impacted by XTR processing
• Raw material ID performance is enhanced with XTR, with identification performance comparable to 1064 nm systems
• Non-contact Raman measurements are possible from up to 1.5 meters with XTR enabled systems

Presenter: Adam J. Hopkins, PhD (Spectroscopy Product Manager, Metrohm USA)

Dr. Adam J. Hopkins is the Spectroscopy Product Manager at Metrohm USA. He has nearly 20 years of experience as a vibrational spectroscopist. He received his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Oregon where he studied nonlinear optical spectroscopy under Geraldine Richmond.

Prior to joining Metrohm USA, Adam worked developing spectroscopic solutions for standoff and noncontact sensing applications using Laser Induced Breakdown and Raman spectroscopy. Dr. Hopkins is a member of the American Chemical Society, Society for Applied Spectroscopy, Coblentz Society and SPIE. He is the author of 19 papers and proceedings and is the author of three patents.

Presenter: Elena Hagemann (Applications Specialist, Metrohm USA)

Elena Hagemann is an Applications Specialist at Metrohm USA in Riverview, Florida. She earned her Master degree in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry at the Applied University of Aalen, Germany, where she completed her studies with her Master thesis focused on Karl Fischer Titration, NIR Spectroscopy and Multivariate Data Analysis. Elena joined the Metrohm Group in August 2013 and started with Metrohm USA in January of 2018, focusing on Raman and NIR Spectroscopy. She performs internal as well as customer training.