Analyte Validation and Concentration via Raman Peak Ratios

The sharp and repeatable fingerprint peaks produced by Raman Spectroscopy are commonly used for rapid identification of materials, and additional analysis may be done on the intensity of a key peak to correlate readings to some quantifiable analyte level. Less often observed are the ratios of multiple peaks within the spectra, which can provide additional insights into both qualification and quantification that remain immune to influences affecting individual peak analysis.

Such multi-peak analysis is presented here with several real-world examples highlighting the hidden value of ratio processing. By finding trends in peak ratios, the end user can build verification thresholds for analyte identification and/or a redundancy layer for concentration calculations.

About the presenter
Derek Guenther has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, with a minor in inorganic chemistry, from the University of South Florida (USF). His work at the USF Institute for Environmental Studies focused on novel silica-based algaecides targeting invasive species. Guenther’s strengths and passions lie in new chemical sensor development and spectral numerical processing. He has spent over 15 years at Ocean Optics developing and supporting optical oxygen, pH, and SERS-based sensor products. Today, he works with the strategic marketing and lab services teams helping customers achieve their goals.