A symmetrical subtraction combined with interpolated values for eliminating scattering from fluorescence EEM data

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Chemometrics

Background:

• Fluorescence emission-excitation matrices (EEMs) are crucial for analyzing complex mixtures.
• Scattering artifacts in EEMs significantly impact the accuracy of quantitative analysis using parallel factor analysis (PARFACS).
• Existing scattering correction methods have limitations, necessitating improved approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and compare nine different scattering elimination methods for EEM data.
• To investigate the effectiveness of combining scattering correction methods and their results.
• To enhance the accuracy of analyte quantification using PARFACS.

Main Methods:

• Application of nine distinct scattering correction techniques to EEM data.
• Implementation of parallel factor analysis (PARFACS) for data analysis.
• Comparative assessment of individual and combined scattering correction strategies.

Main Results:

• Scattering significantly interferes with PARFACS-based analyte quantification.
• Combining results from multiple scattering correction methods yields superior concentration predictions compared to individual methods.
• The proposed combination strategy demonstrated improved accuracy across all analyzed components.

Conclusions:

• A combined approach to scattering elimination in EEMs is more effective than single methods.
• Improved scattering correction is vital for accurate PARFACS-based quantitative analysis.
• This study provides a robust strategy for enhancing the reliability of EEM data analysis.