Qualitative Analysis of Nanogram Samples with Fourier Transform Infrared Transmission Surface Electromagnetic Wave Spectroscopy

Abstract

The intensity enhancement of infrared spectra with Ag island films in surface electromagnetic wave spectroscopy (SEWS), which is commonly associated with the ATR method, was observed with the use of an ordinary transmission configuration. We refer to this as “transmission SEWS” or “T-SEWS.” With 10 nm Ag, the magnitude of enhancement factor was about 200 for the NO2 symmetric stretching band at 1350 cm−1 with p-nitrobenzoic acid. In order to estimate its effectiveness as a qualitative analytical method, T-SEWS spectra were compared with normal transmission spectra with the use of several samples. The results showed that T-SEWS is useful in detecting and identifying nanogram amounts of substances which do not have reactive functional groups—e.g., triphenyl phosphate (TPP) or polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which do not have -COOH, -SO3H, -C=S, etc. A usable spectrum was observed from as little as 25 ng/cm2 of TPP with the use of a standard triglycine sulfate detector without a beam condenser. Combined with microspectroscopy, T-SEWS shows promise for picogram order analysis and chromatographic applications.