Unlocking the power of Deep UV Resonance Raman spectroscopy for material science

Unlocking the power of Deep UV Resonance Raman spectroscopy for material science

Barbara Rossi, Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, Italy

Raman spectroscopy is a well-assessed spectroscopic technique which is widely implemented in the laboratories for detection and molecular characterization of several kinds of matter, including solids, liquids and gels. The Raman spectra contain unique information about molecular vibrations, providing a spectroscopic fingerprint useful for the chemical identification and characterization of the materials. Since Raman technique does not require handling or particular preparation of the sample, it is the ideal tool for the quick and non-destructive analysis of a wide range of systems. UV Resonance Raman (UVRR) spectroscopy is a variant of the standard Raman technique which exploits the fact that the energy of the incident light is tuned into an electronic absorption band of the sample, enhancing selected vibrational modes. Thanks to this resonance effect, UVRR benefits of some advantages with respect to the conventional off-resonance Raman technique, such as i) the strong increment of the detection limit, ii) the selective label-free probing of specific functional groups in the sample and iii) the suppression of the interfering fluorescence background which often limits the analysis of Raman signal. This determines the usefulness of UVRR spectroscopy as a highly sensitive and selective label-free probe for exploring the vibrational and electronic state of molecular systems. In this contribution, we would like to give a wide overview on the opportunities offered by the multi-wavelengths UVRR spectroscopy facility, recently implemented in the new IUVS laser laboratory at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, for the molecular characterization of complex systems both in condensed and liquid state. Selected case studies will be discussed in order to show the usefulness of the UVRR method in the chemistry, physics, biology and material science, with particular attention to the perspective in the field of food science.

Barbara Rossi is scientist at IUVS laboratory of the Elettra - Sincrotrone Trieste, Italy.  She received a PhD in Physics from the University of Trento. Her research experience lies in the field of spectroscopic techniques, particularly Raman spectroscopy. Her research activity is focused on the chemical-physical investigation of molecular liquids, soft matter and and bio-molecules, such as DNA, peptide and proteins trough visible Raman and Deep UV Resonance Raman spectroscopy with synchrotron and laser sources. Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, over 130 articles in peer-reviewed journals and 3 book chapters (H-index - 30), 40 invited talks and lectures at International Conferences, Symposiums and Schools.