FT-IR Operating Procedure

There are 4 modes for FT-IR: Transmission, Diamond ATR, Contact ATR, Micro ATR. All modes uses the same program, OPUS. User and Password are written in the log book. Transmission and Diamond ATR are done in the bench-top.

To operate transmission mode:

1) Open the cover for the chamber. 2) There are two different kinds of sample holders; one of them is just a stand to hold the sample while the other has a platform with a lever on top. 3) For transmission mode, use the sample holder with just the stand. 4) Samples are placed covering the hole in the middle of the holder. A red laser can be seen from the transmitter of the IR. 5) Replace the cover. 6) In OPUS program, there are whole lists of icons on the top panel of the window. Click on the test tube icon, the icon is near the left side of the window. 7) Click Load, and load the file MIR-TR 8) Click background single channel to do a background scan (Make sure this is done before the samples are placed in the chamber. 9) Once background scan is done, place samples on holder. 10) Click Sample single channel 11) Graphs would be generated. 12) To save the graph, right click on the graph and copy all. Then open paint and paste the graph. 13) To save data points, right click on the name of the graph you want, and click show parameters. Then click AB, and data points will be shown. Copy all the data points and save it in notepad, or excel or word. 14) Data points can also be saved by clicking file on top of window. Followed by save as, under mode tab, choose data point table and save.

To operate diamond ATR mode (Samples must be soft and flexible):

1) Open chamber and replace sample holder with the one that has a platform and a lever on top. 2) Samples are places under the lever, before locking the lever. Be gentle with the lever so as to not spoil the diamond tip. 3) Replace cover of chamber. 4) Again in OPUS program, click on the test tube icon. This time, Load the file: Diamond ATR 5) Rests of the procedures are the same as transmission mode.

To operate Microscope mode:

1) Use the platform under the microscope, Hyperion 3000. The switch to on the microscope is on the right back corner of the microscope. 2) Make sure liquid nitrogen is filled, till the red light at the bottom where the snowflake symbol is disappears.

3) There are a few different transmitters above the platform, turn it to the microscope which is the middle size, round and black looking. 4) Click on the eyes symbol button under the platform. And observe that a beam of light would appear from under the black transmitter. That is where the sample should be placed. 5) Place sample there and look into the microscope. Adjust the focus till sample is in focus. Make sure the black lever on the right of the eyepiece is down or you may not see anything in the microscope. 6) Once object is in focus, press the button with the transmission symbol, which is on the left of the eye button 7) Then, in OPUS, click on the test tube. This time, Load HYPERION3000 REFL.XPM file. 8) There rests of the procedures are the same as transmission mode.

Useful icons in OPUS:

1) Somewhere in the middle of the top panel, there is an icon with a two way arrow in between two different transmission symbols. This icon can be used to convert the graph from transmission to absorption, vice versa. 2) Towards the right there is a icon with clouds, click on it to calculate atmospheric compensation. 3) An icon with an arrow pointing at a peak can be used to pick a peak in the graph, to find out the position of the peak. 4) Either that, right click on any point of the graph, click add annotation would also give you the position of the point.