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Corporate Capabilities

• Acton Research/Roper Scientific
• Advanced Chemistry Development, Inc.
• Agilent/Hewlett Packard
• Amersham Pharmacia Biotech
• Amptek Inc.
• Andor Technology
• Aurora Instruments Ltd.
• Axiom Analytical, Inc.
• Barr Associates, Inc.
• Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Sadtler Division
• Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Spectroscopy Division
• ABB Bomem Inc.
• Bruker
• CeramOptec, Inc.
• ChemIcon, Inc.
• Chromex, a subsidiary of Hoya
• Comstock Incorporated
• EDAX Inc.
• Edinburgh Instruments Ltd.
• Electro-Optical Systems Inc
• Environmental Express, Ltd.
• Foss NIRSystems, Inc.
• GBC Scientific Equipment Inc.
• Galactic Industries Corporation
• Hach Company Inc.
• Harrick Scientific Corporation
• JY Horiba, formerly Instruments SA
• Jasco Incorporated
• Jordan Valley AR, Inc.
• KevexSpectrace, a division of NORAN Instruments Inc.
• Kaiser Optical Systems, Inc.
• Kratos Analytical, Inc.
• Labsphere, Inc.
• Lambda Physik, Inc.
• Mattson Instruments
• Melcor Corporation
• Melles Griot Laser and Electro Optics Group
• MIDAC Corporation
• New Wave Research - Merchantek Products
• Newport Corporation
• Nicolet Instrument Corporation
• NITON Corporation
• Ocean Optics, Inc.
• OI Analytical
• Optical Solutions, Inc.
• Opto-Knowledge Systems, Inc. (OKSI)
• Orbital Sciences Corporation
• Osmic, Inc.
• Pike Technologies Inc.
• PLX Inc.
• PerkinElmer Instruments
• Philips Analytical
• Polymicro Technologies LLC
• Remspec Corporation
• Precision Electronic Glass, Inc.
• Renishaw Inc.
• SensIR Technologies, LLC
• Sensors Unlimited, Inc.
• SpectrAlliance
• Specac Inc.
• Spectra-Tech Inc.
• Spectronic Unicam
• Spectroscopy
• Spectral Products
• SPEX CertiPrep, Inc., Certified Reference Materials Division
• SPEX CertiPrep, Inc., Sample Preparation Division
• Thermo Jarrell Ash Corporation
• Textron Systems
• UOP-Guided Wave Process Analytical Systems
• VG Elemental
• X-Ray Optical Systems, Inc.

Departments

• From the Publisher
• Letters to the Editor
• Guest Editorial
• News Spectrum
• Product Finder
• Contact Information

Resource Section

• Call for Papers
• Index to Volume XIV, 1999
• 2000 Editorial Calendar
• Readers' Choice Awards Ballot
• Information for Authors
• Spectroscopy at PittCon 2000: A Preview
• Directory of Associations
• Bookshelf
• Calendar

ARTICLES

• Origins of the Diamond Anvil Cell: The Versatile Sampling Accessory Marks Its 40th Year
  John R. Ferraro and Eric Van Valkenburg
  In the 40 years since its introduction, the diamond anvil cell has opened new doors for spectroscopists studying materials under high pressures. Developed by early workers in high-pressure research, the diamond anvil cell is today a versatile sampling accessory for a diverse array of applications using infrared and x-ray spectroscopy. The authors examine the cell's design principles and summarize some of the key fields of research in which the cell has played a role.

• Semiconductor Process Effluent Characterization Using On-Line FT-IR and MS Techniques
  Josep Arnó
  As semiconductors get smaller and the materials used to make them get more exotic, the risk of wafer contamination during the fabrication process increases. In-line infrared and mass spectrometers are becoming the semiconductor industry's tools of choice for reliable, accurate, and multicomponent analysis of effluents that can cause comination.

• Unit Optimization - More than Optimization of Parts: Sulfur Recovery from Hydrocarbons
  Ernie Baughman and Bruce McIntosh
  Multiple fast analyzers can provide information that allows operators to optimize the operation of an entire production unit. The authors show how FT-IR and other analyzers are deployed at a sulfur recovery unit to maximize profits and increase safety.

• Spectroscopy in Space: Thermal Emission Spectrometer Unveils Secrets of Mars
  Barry DiGregorio
  The author reviews findings of recent NASA studies using the Thermal Emission Spectrometer onboard the Mars Global Surveyor. Improvements in multispectral thermal imaging have given today's thermal IR spectrometers much greater sensitivity and spatial resolution than previous instrumentation used to study Mars.

• Molecular Spectroscopy Workbench: Attention to Detail - The Millennium Doesn't Start for Another Year!
  Emil W. Ciurczak

ARTICLES

• A Review of Current and New Technologies Used in Instrumentation for Industrial Vibrational Spectroscopy
  John Coates
  The author reviews the history of infrared, near-infrared, and Raman spectroscopy for use as industrial QC or process control instruments, including the benefits and disadvantages of spectroscopy in these settings.

• Echelle Gratings in ICP-OES Spectrometers: A Tutorial
  John W. Olesik
  This article reviews the basic principles of grating spectrometers, with emphasis on the echelle gratings used in his lab.

• Wireless Transmission of Chemical Sensor Data Using a Cordless Phone: Pulling the Plug on the Data Cable
  Susan L. Slagel, Peter de B. Harrington, and Paul Schmittauer
  The authors have devised a way to transmit data from their remote ion mobility spectrometer to a computer back at the lab using a cordless phone.

• Mass Spectroscopy Forum: Mechanisms of MALDI
  Kenneth L. Busch

• Spec Sheet: A Monolithic Interferometer for Infrared Spectroscopy
  Zvi Bleier, Carl Brouillette, and Robert Carangelo

ARTICLES

• Structural Changes in the Lipoprotein Complex of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Detected by Raman Spectroscopy
  Nihal S. De Silva
  This study looked at changes in specific proteins and phospholipids in the lung fluids of healthy subjects compared with those of alveolar proteinosis patients.

• Flow Injection Analyses as Applied to Wastewater
  Evangeline M. Hodge
  The Inorganic Analysis Team at Los Alamos National Laboratory focuses on the determination of trace contaminants in several types of matrices including water, biological materials, geological materials, and air filters.

• The Role of Software in Moving Analytical Instrumentation Out of the Laboratory
  Don Kuehl
  Adapted from a key SPQ talk, this article explains why the acceptance of spectroscopy as a tool for process and quality control depends to a great extent on software.

• SPQ-99 Exhibitor Products
  Profiles of SPQ exhibitors and their products for industrial spectroscopy.

• SPQ-99 Conference Review
  A recap of the invited lectures and contributed posters at SPQ-99.

• Mass Spectrometry Forum: Matrices for MALDI
  Kenneth L. Busch

• The Baseline: Term Symbols - Part II, Atoms
  David W. Ball

• Tech Note: Increasing the Accuracy of Equilibrium Constants with Nonlinear Curve Fitting
  Ernö Keszei

Special Issue: 1999-2000 Buyers' Guide

ARTICLES

• NMR and MRI Using Laser-Polarized Xenon
  Yi-Qiao Song, Boyd M. Goodson, and Alexander Pines
  Optical pumping nuclear magnetic resonance has advanced quickly in some fields of research, but the potential of laser-polarized gases with this technique is just beginning to be realized.

• The Determination of Key Quality Parameters in the FT-IR Analysis of Edible Oils
  Sharon Cooke and Mark Billingham
  At least one company is developing an FT-IR-based system that may replace the slower and more expensive traditional methods of analyzing these vital products.

• Spectroscopy Management Needs as Part of an Analytical Laboratory Information Management System
  Antony Williams and David McLaughlin
  To increase efficiency, many laboratories have computerized their data recording, but the inclusion of spectroscopic data has been hampered by a lack of standards. The authors explain how Web-based user interfaces may help alleviate the problem.

• An Overview of New Products for X-ray Fluorescence Analysis
  The editors present a sampling of the new products companies will be showing at the 48th Annual Denver X-ray Conference in August.

• Atomic Spectroscopy Perspectives: A Preview of the 2000 Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry
  D. Conrad Grégoire

• Molecular Spectroscopy Workbench: Virtual Neuropathology: A New Approach to Preclinical Pathology Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging Microscopy
  David S. Lester, Jan N. Johannessen, P. Scott Pine, George N. McGregor, and G. Allan Johnson

• The Baseline: Term Symbols - Part I, Rationalizing
  David W. Ball

ARTICLES

• Direct Analysis of MTBE in Water Using Automated Membrane-Introduction Mass Spectrometry
  Viorica Lopez-Avila, Janet Benedicto, Harry Prest, and Scott Bauer
  MTBE is a common octane-boosting additive in gasolines, and it sometimes finds its way into wastewater, causing an environmental problem. The authors suggest that the MIMS technique can be more useful than competitive techniques in the analysis of MTBE in water.

• A New Generation of High-Pressure Microwave Sample Digestion Systems
  J. Baasner, H. Schulze, P. Kainrath, and P. Kettisch
  This article profiles new microwave digestion systems that work at temperatures up to 300 °C and pressures up to 74 barr.

• Chemometrics in Spectroscopy: Linearity in Calibration, Act II, Scene V
  Howard Mark and Jerome Workman Jr.

• Atomic Spectroscopy Perspectives: Novel Application of Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry in Forensic Science and Forensic Archaeology
  R. John Watling

ARTICLES

• PittCon '99 in Review - A Wrap-up of the Latest Instruments, Accessories, and Software for Spectroscopy
  Change was the name of the game at this year's PittCon, with many companies restructuring, selling, and merging, along with the introduction of hundreds of exciting new products.

• Infrared Sleuthing through the Warehouse
  Paul C. Haschke and Mary A. Kaplar
  This case study examines one company's use of an FT-IR system in maintaining high-quality materials to keep its systems running.

• A Fast Automated Spectral Curve-Fitting Technique for ICP-AES
  Chris Webb, Andrew T. Zander, Philip V. Wilson, and Gabriel Perlis
  The authors describe the FACT method for peak fitting using an ICP system with an echelle spectrometer and a custom CCD. They present data demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach for B-Fe lines near 249 nm and investigate the effectiveness of peak fitting as a function of peak separation.

• Chemometrics in Spectroscopy: Linearity in Calibration - Act II, Scene IV
  Howard Mark and Jerome Workman Jr.

• The Baseline: ([Bouguer]-Lambert)-Beer's Law
  David W. Ball

ARTICLES

• Cavity Ringdown Laser Absorption Spectroscopy
  R.A. Provencal, J.B. Paul, C.N. Chapo, and R.J. Saykally
  The power of CRLAS arises from its simplicity and high sensitivity. This article reviews the principles and explores some recent applications of this new absorption-based technique.

• Visualization of Micro-ATR Infrared Spectroscopy
  John P. Coates and John Reffner
  The authors present an explanation of the principles along with a historical perspective of ATR and point out the areas in which it is most valuable.

• Analysis of Strongly Absorbing Chromophores by UV/Visible ATR Spectroscopy
  Walter M. Doyle and Lani Tran
  Very little research using UV/Vis ATR has been reported, even though it is not a new technique. This article illustrates the potential for broadening its areas of application by optimizing the measurement conditions for individual tasks.

• An Introduction to the Initial Participants in the NIST-Traceable Reference Material Program
  As a follow-up to our February article on NIST's new program for licensing commercial vendors to produce NIST-traceable standards for UV/Vis spectrophotometry, we present a recap of the initial players in the field.

• Molecular Spectroscopy Workbench: Scientific Method or Hunt-and-Peck?
  Emil Ciurczak

• Atomic Spectroscopy Perspectives: Analysis of Geological Materials by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry
  D. Conrad Grégoire

• Mass Spectrometry Forum: Genesis of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry
  Kenneth L. Busch

ARTICLES

• Second Annual Spectroscopy Salary and Employment Survey
  The spectroscopists who participated in this year's survey are making more money and are more content with their jobs than last year's respondents.

• Minimizing Polyatomic Interferences in ICP-MS
  The authors review the three commonly used methods for minimizing interferences in ICP-MS and discuss their use of a cool-plasma-based system involving a collision/reaction cell.
  Thomas J. Gluodenis Jr., Ken'ichi Sakata, and Ed McCurdy

INDUSTRIAL TRENDS

• Raman Spectroscopy in the Pharmaceutical Industry
  • FT-Raman
  • Dispersive Raman
• Environmental Applications
  • Remote Sensing
  • Sample Preparation

ARTICLES

• History of Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy
  John R. Ferraro
  The author traces the development of FT-IR from its earliest days to the present and acknowledges the scientists responsible for advancing this technique to the important status it holds today.

• A New Dynamic Reaction Cell for Reducing ICP-MS Interferences Using Chemical Resolution
  Eric R. Denoyer, Scott D. Tanner, and Uwe Voellkopf
  Through the process of chemical resolution in a dynamic reaction cell, interference in ICP-MS can be reduced or even eliminated.

• The NIST-Traceable-Reference-Material Optical Filters Program for Chemical Spectrophotometry
  J.C. Travis and G.W. Kramer
  The demand for Standard Reference Materials for use in UV/Vis spectrophotometry has outgrown NIST's production capacity. Consequently, more commercial vendors are beginning to offer certified reference materials and calibration services traceable to NIST.

• Chemometrics in Spectroscopy: Linearity in Calibration - Act II, Scene III
  Howard Mark and Jerome Workman, Jr.

ARTICLES

• Vibrational Sum Frequency Spectroscopy at Liquid:Liquid Interfaces - Model Membrane Systems
  Robert A. Walker, Beth L. Smiley, and Geraldine L. Richmond
  Experiments at liquid:liquid interfaces show how VSFS can be applied to study the structure of model membrane systems.

• Benchtop ICP-MS Breaks the Bottleneck in Inorganic Elemental Analysis: Case Studies from a Contract Analytical Laboratory
  Walter Brandl and Robert Hunter
  For one company, the installation of a benchtop ICP-MS system resulted in a significant increase in sample throughput, reduced turnaround times, and enhanced analytical capability.

• Molecular Spectroscopy Workbench: 3-D Hyperspectral Infrared Biomedical Imaging
  Emil W. Ciurczak

• Chemometrics in Spectroscopy: Linearity in Calibration - Act II, Scene II
  Howard Mark and Jerome Workman Jr.

• Spec Sheet: Automated Optical Positioning for FT-IR Microspectroscopy
  Stephen Glad and Tom Tague