band comprising of a central absorption (Q branch)
with equally spaced lines either side called the P branch
(DJ ¼1), and the R branch (DJ ¼þ1). This structure
is only seen as such in the gas phase. In solid or solution
state the result is that a broad absorption rather than a
sharp line is seen. However, no absorption will be seen
at all unless the selection rule is applied. This states
that for absorption to occur there must be a change in
dipole moment during the vibration. Consequently,
homonuclear bonds do not absorb.
0015 At normal room temperature most molecules will
be in the ground vibrational state. However, as the
temperature is increased, a more significant popula-
tion will develop in the excited state. As a result
transitions from the v
1
to v
0
state can occur with the
emission of a photon. This is the process of infrared
emission which is, albeit rare, an alternative to
absorption spectroscopy. In this case the (heated)
sample acts as the infrared source.
0016 Infrared spectroscopy has, until recently, been of
little use for industrial, biological, and food use owing
to the difficulties of sample handling and the time of
data acquisition. However, the recent development of
Fourier transform methods involving the replacement
of the dispersing element with an interferometer has
benefits of increased speed, throughput, and fre-
quency reproducibility. Coupled with new methods
of sample presentation, this has led to a reawakening
of interest in the middle infrared.
0017 The absorptions in the middle infrared are known
as the fundamentals. However, various overtones and
combinations of the fundamentals can arise. For
example, a molecule with two fundamentals at fre-
quencies v
1
and v
2
may give overtones at 2v
1
,3v
1
,
4v
1
,or2v
2
, etc., or combinations at, say, v
1
þv
2
or
2v
1
þv
2
. In practice, not all fundamentals give rise to
overtones, usually only bonds in which a heavy atom
such as N or O is coupled to hydrogen. The overtone
and combinations constitute the near infrared
(2.50.7 mm) which, despite the apparent complexity
of the spectra, has found considerable application to
food problems.
Raman Spectroscopy
0018 If a sample is illuminated with monochromatic visible
light, it is found that much of the light is scattered and
that the scattered light is of the same frequency as the
illuminating light. This is elastic or Raleigh scattering.
However, analysis shows that a small amount
(< 10
6
) of the incident radiation is scattered with a
different frequency. A series of lines is found with
frequencies less than the incident light. A weaker
series is found with higher frequencies. When the
former set of lines are presented as a spectrum of
intensity versus frequency shift, the result is some-
thing similar to an infrared spectrum with the shift
scale from about 4000 to 20 cm
1
. This effect is the
Raman effect and the spectrum is called the Raman
spectrum. The lines comprising the spectrum are
called Stokes lines. Those of higher frequency than
the exciting line are called anti-Stokes lines and con-
sist of the same peaks with the same shift, but there
may be different intensity ratios.
0019The electrical field of the incident radiation inter-
acts with the electrons in the sample and causes peri-
odic polarization and depolarization so that energy is
momentarily absorbed in a distorted, polarized state
or virtual state. Most molecules relax by the emission
of energy of the same frequency to that absorbed. In
a few cases some of the energy will be dissipated
amongst the vibrational energy levels, causing vibra-
tional excitation and giving rise to the Raman spec-
trum. Even fewer molecules will not be in the ground
vibrational state before excitation but in the virtual
state may relax and the emitted photon will be of
higher energy than that incident, leading to the anti-
Stokes lines. In contrast to infrared spectroscopy, the
selection rule for absorption is that, during vibration
of the bond, there must be a change in the electronic
polarizability. There is thus a distinct difference in the
two spectra and vibrations that may be weak or absent
from infrared spectra, e.g., C—C are present and per-
haps strong in the Raman. The two spectroscopies are
thus complementary and together provide a complete
picture of the vibrational states of a molecule.
Far Infrared/Microwave
0020To complete the picture, at lower energy there is the
far infrared (40010 cm
1
), which has major appli-
cations in inorganic chemistry as bonds between
metals and organic ligands appear here as well as
skeletal vibrations of molecular backbones. This
region is of limited application in food and nutritional
studies.
0021In the microwave region, at even lower energy,
pure rotational spectra can be produced. However,
they will not be addressed here as this is also of
limited application.
0022At the radiofrequency end of the spectrum is NMR
spectroscopy which involves transitions between
magnetic quantum levels of atomic nuclei. Nuclei
have properties of spin and magnetic moment. Split-
ting of the energy levels can be induced by placement
in a magnetic field and transitions can be induced by
the application of radiofrequency radiation. Today,
this is usually achieved by irradiating the sample ex-
posed to a high magnetic field with a pulse of broad-
band radiation. After excitation the nuclei reemit
SPECTROSCOPY/Overview 5409