NIR Award

The Büchi NIR Award is presented every year for excellent contributions in the field of NIR spectroscopy by young scientists (not older than 35 years). The prize is $2000. The deadline is 30 June and more details can be obtained from nir.award@buchi.com or www.buchi.com

“Frequency comb” spectroscopy

An adaptation of cavity ring-down spectroscopy has been described in the 17 March issue of Science. Developed at JILA, a joint institute of the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the US Department of Commerce and the University of Colorado at Boulder, the new technology uses an ultrafast laser-based “optical frequency comb” as both the light source and to measure and identify the characteristic absorptions of the sample. The frequency comb approach provides similar sensitivity to cavity ring-down spectroscopy (about 10 ppb) but provides a much wider bandwidth (100 nm as opposed to 1 nm). This range is in the visible and NIR: 750–850 nm. The system also offers high resolution, and this can be tweaked to reach below the limit set by the thermal motion of gaseous atoms or molecules at room temperature. Data acquisition is fast (1 ms per 15 nm of bandwidth) enabling the study of dynamic systems.

Information on frequency combs can be found at www.nist.gov/public_affairs/newsfromnist_frequency_combs.htm and the Science paper at dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1123921

Mobile mass spectrometers

Researchers at Purdue University in the USA have developed a miniature, battery-powered mass spectrometer based on the DESI (desorption-electrospray ionisation, see article starting on page 8) technique. The prototype instrument is equipped with a wand-like probe that can be used to sample the environment, such as screening luggage.

Important medical applications are also foreseen. DESI has been used to detect the boundaries of cancerous tumours, helping to ensure that the surgeon removes the entire tumour. “I wouldn’t be surprised if pathologists are using this in operating rooms within two years” said Professor Graham Cooks of Purdue.

The instrument has detected 1 ng of TATP (the explosive used in the London Underground bombings in 2005), as well as other explosives. One vision of the use of such an instrument is in a wireless network linking many together to constantly monitor the air for chemical or biological warfare agents in buildings and critical locations such as airports and stations.

Cooks has recently co-authored a review on DESI: dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1119426