Raman Microspectroscopy

Emphasis is placed on applications of Raman which arise from its ability to characterize molecular structure, its general ease of use and its minimal sample preparation requirements; however, non-routine applications will also be discussed. Lecture and exercise topics include: Raman theory, instrument hardware, applications customized to student interests (e.g. pharmaceuricals, inorganics, pigments, polymers, forensics, homeland security), spectral interpretation, sample preparation, using spectra databases and analysis software, and integrating Raman microscopy with other methods which provide complimentary structural, chemical and optical data (e.g. FTIR, polarized light microscopy, SEM/EDS, micro-chemical tests, diffraction techniques).