New ultrarapid-scanning interferometer for FT-IR spectroscopy with microsecond time-resolution

作者：Suess B; Ringleb F; Heberle J^*

来源：Review of Scientific Instruments, 2016, 87(6): 063113.

DOI：10.1063/1.4953658

A novel Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) rapid-scan spectrometer has been developed (patent pending EP14194520.4) which yields 1000 times higher time resolution as compared to conventional rapid-scanning spectrometers. The central element to achieve faster scanning rates is based on a sonotrode whose front face represents the movable mirror of the interferometer. A prototype spectrometer with a time resolution of 13 mu s was realized, capable of fully automated long-term measurements with a flow cell for liquid samples, here a photosynthetic membrane protein in solution. The performance of this novel spectrometer is demonstrated by recording the photoreaction of bacteriorhodopsin initiated by a short laser pulse that is synchronized to the data recording. The resulting data are critically compared to those obtained by step-scan spectroscopy and demonstrate the relevance of performing experiments on proteins in solution. The spectrometer allows for future investigations of fast, non-repetitive processes, whose investigation is challenging to step-scan FT-IR spectroscopy. Published by AIP Publishing.

• 出版日期2016-6