Spectroscopic Support

• US 20080291441A1
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Imperial Innovations Limited (Imperial College London)
• Original Assignee: Imperial Innovations Limited (Imperial College London)
• Inventors: Donaldson, Paul, Klug, David
• Application Number:
  US11/571,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20080291441A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/244
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/01 Arrangements or apparatus for facilitating the optical investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/35 using infrared light G01N21/39 takes precedence

Abstract

A porous sample support provides a matrix into the pores or interstitial spaces of which a sample to be subjected to a spectroscopic analysis can be introduced. 2 D infrared spectroscopy can then be carried out on the sample at higher concentrations with minimized background.

Claims

1. A two-dimensional infra red spectroscopic sample support comprising a porous matrix.

2. The sample support of claim 1 whereby the matrix has a pore size of from 1 nm to 10 μ

m.

3. The sample support of claim 1 wherein the matrix is optically transparent.

4. The sample support claim 1 wherein the matrix comprises at least one of a polymer, an organic an inorganic matrix.

5. The sample support claim 1 wherein the matrix comprises a metal oxide porous film.

6. The sample support of claim 5 wherein the metal oxide film comprises a mesoporous nanocrystalline metal oxide.

7. The sample support of claim 5 wherein the metal oxide film is selected from the group consisting of ZnO₂, ZrO₂, TiO₂, SiO₂, SnO₂, CeO₂, Nb₂O₅, WO₃, and SrTiO₃.

8. The sample support claim 5 wherein the metal oxide film comprises nanometer sized crystalline particles having a typical diameter of from 5 to 50 nm.

9. The sample support of claim 1 wherein the matrix comprises a dehydrated polyacrylamide gel.

10. The sample support of claim 1 wherein the matrix comprises at least one of a porous sol and a gel.

11. The sample support of claim 1 wherein the matrix is supported on a substrate.

12. The sample support of claim 11 wherein the substrate is at least one of a polymeric glass matrix, a silicate glass matrix, sapphire, MgF₂ and CaF₂.

13. A two dimensional infra red spectroscopic sample preparation comprising the sample support claim 1 and a sample in contact therewith.

14. The sample preparation of claim 13 wherein the sample is at least one of an organic molecule, a protein, a nucleic acid, a saccharide, a fragment of an organic molecule, a fragment of a protein, a fragment of a nucleic acid, and a fragment of a saccharide.

15. The sample preparation of claim 13 wherein the sample is in at least one of ionic, covalent and van der Waals interaction with the sample support.

16. A two-dimensional spectroscopy apparatus comprising an excitation source and the sample support of claim 1.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 comprising a two dimensional infrared spectroscopy apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 comprising an evanescent wave geometry spectroscopy apparatus.

19. A method of two-dimensional spectroscopy comprising exciting a mode of a sample in contact with the sample preparation of claim 13.

20. The method of claim 19 comprising exciting at least one of a vibrational mode and an electronic mode.

21. A process for the production of the two-dimensional infra red spectroscopic sample support as defined in claim 1 comprising contacting a substrate with a matrix.

22. The process of claim 21 wherein the substrate is contacted with the matrix under the application of at least one of heat and pressure.

23. A process for the preparation of a two dimensional infra red spectroscopy sample preparation comprising the application of a sample to a two dimensional infra red spectroscopic sample support claim 1 and removal of water from the preparation.

24. The process of claim 23 wherein the sample is applied to the sample support by at least one of screen printing and gridding by a gridding robot.