ABSTRACT
Spectroscopic techniques employ instruments that share several common basic components, including a source of energy, a means for isolating a narrow range of wavelengths, a sample holder, a detector for measuring the signal, and a digital processor that displays the signal. This chapter focuses on instruments employed for detection of absorption spectroscopy, mainly ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) and vibrational spectroscopy. The light source emits the electromagnetic radiation that is collimated before passing through the wavelength selector device that separates the broadband radiation into its spectrum, which consists of all wavelengths within the UV–Vis, near-infrared, or mid-infrared regions. There are two main types of radiation lamps: continuum and line source. The most typical sources for molecular absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy instrumentation are continuum sources that radiate over a wide range of wavelengths. Monochromators, filters, and interferometers are the main type of wavelength selector devices that can be used in spectrometers.
