Development of portable defocusing micro-scale spatially offset Raman spectroscopy

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Spectroscopy
• Cultural Heritage Science

Background:

• Conventional Raman microscopy struggles with analyzing thin, highly turbid stratified layers.
• Previous micro-Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (micro-SORS) was limited to benchtop instruments, restricting in situ and large sample analysis.
• Non-invasive and non-destructive analysis is crucial in fields like cultural heritage and forensics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the first portable defocusing micro-Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (micro-SORS) system.
• To demonstrate the capabilities and performance of portable micro-SORS across various application areas.
• To enable non-invasive, in situ analysis of large and complex stratified samples.

Main Methods:

• Development of a portable defocusing micro-SORS setup.
• Characterization of the portable system using artificially assembled two-layer samples.
• Benchmarking against a high-performance non-portable Raman microscope.

Main Results:

• Successful conceptual characterization of the portable micro-SORS system.
• Demonstrated applicability to stratified polymer, pharmaceutical tablet, and layered paint samples.
• Validated the system's performance and benefits for analyzing turbid stratified layers.

Conclusions:

• Portable micro-SORS overcomes the limitations of benchtop systems for analyzing stratified layers.
• The portable setup unlocks transformative potential for non-invasive, in situ analysis across multiple disciplines.
• This advancement facilitates the study of cultural heritage, pharmaceuticals, forensics, and more without sample destruction.