The Spectroscopic Facility at DIT is a collaboration between the Schools of Chemistry and Physics to address common needs for spectroscopic services and promote interdisciplinary research at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Any one modality of spectroscopy can only probe a limited range of physical properties, and therefore a range of techniques is essential for a comprehensive research programme. Currently, the facility houses the following suite of instruments.

Shimadzu UV-2101PC

Absorption Spectrometer – a double beam, direct ratio photometric measuring system providing a range 190–900 nm.

Perkin Elmer LS50B Luminescence Spectrometer – a ratioing luminescence spectrometer with the capability of measuring fluorescence, phosphorescence and luminescence. The source is monochromated in the scan range 200–800 nm. The luminescence can be scanned over the range 200–900 nm.

Mattson Infinity FTIR Spectrometer – a single-beam, Michelson interferometer-based, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, with an operating range in the mid and far infrared, 200–5000 cm^-1, with a resolution of 0.5 cm^-1.

Instruments S.A. Labram 1B – a confocal Raman imaging microscope system. It has a range from 150–4000 cm^-1 in a single image, or greater resolution (1 cm^-1 per pixel) in a combination of images.

The facility provides support for research projects and collaborations with other national and international institutions, as well as a specialist service for industry.

Current research activities include fullerene thin films, single wall carbon nanotubes, organic polymers for light applications, organic photopolymers for holography, ferroelectric crystals, liquid crystal displays, defects in silicon wafers, whole cell studies in biological systems, photoactive donor-acceptor complexes, detection systems for pollutants, chiral selection of amino acids using cyclodextrins, and self-assembled monolayers for detection of biomolecules.

Contact:
Dr Hugh Byrne or Dr Mary McNamara,
Schools of Physics and Chemistry, DIT;
E-mail: hugh.byrne@dit.ie , mmcnamara@dit.ie