Facilities & Instrumentation

Welcome to the core of the Advanced FT-IR User Facility. Our laboratory is equipped with a comprehensive suite of high-performance Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectrometers, microscopes, specialized sampling accessories, and tunable nanosecond laser systems. This advanced infrastructure allows us to perform a wide variety of measurements, from routine structural characterization to cutting-edge, time-resolved biophysical studies.

FT-IR Spectrometers

Our primary analytical instruments are highly sensitive, versatile Bruker FT-IR spectrometers capable of handling diverse sample types under various atmospheric conditions.

Bruker VERTEX 80v

Overview: A top-of-the-line, fully evacuable spectrometer designed for demanding research applications. The vacuum environment virtually eliminates atmospheric moisture and CO2 absorptions, providing ultimate sensitivity and stability.

Capabilities: Equipped for Step-Scan and Rapid-Scan time-resolved measurements. Features a high-performance scanning mirror mechanism and supports an extensive range of detectors (e.g., LN-MCT) and sources (MIR, NIR, UV/VIS).

Bruker INVENIO-R

Overview: A highly innovative and flexible FT-IR spectrometer ideal for advanced R&D. It features a robust, purged optical bench and highly automated components.

Capabilities: Optimized for high signal-to-noise ratio measurements with smart accessory recognition, making it easily adaptable for various specialized transmission and reflection setups.

Microscopy & Microanalysis Workstation

Bruker HYPERION FT-IR Microscope

Overview: A dedicated, high-performance infrared microscopy workstation. The HYPERION microscope is directly coupled to our reliable Bruker TENSOR 27 FT-IR spectrometer, providing an optimal setup for spatially resolved chemical analysis.

Capabilities: Features multiple viewing objectives (4x, 15x, 36x) and specialized IR objectives including an ATR objective and Grazing Angle Incidence (GIR) objective. Capable of analyzing microscopic samples, single crystals, and localized material defects with high precision.

Advanced Sampling Accessories

CONFOCHECK & AquaSpec System

Overview: A dedicated setup for the precise analysis of proteins and aqueous solutions.

Capabilities: The AquaSpec cell features a strictly fixed optical path length, eliminating baseline variations and allowing for highly reproducible subtraction of water/buffer backgrounds. Essential for determining protein secondary structures and monitoring temperature-induced conformational changes.

Temperature-Controlled ATR

Overview: Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) accessories equipped with precise thermal control for real-time monitoring of temperature-dependent dynamics, such as protein denaturation and stability assays.

Tunable Nanosecond Laser Systems

For our time-resolved measurement modes, the facility houses powerful Class IV tunable laser systems. These lasers are integrated directly into the spectrometer optical paths to initiate rapid photochemical and biophysical reactions.

OPOTEK Vibrant 355 LD

Pulse duration: 2–10 ns.
Wavelengths & Energies: Fundamental outputs at 1064 nm (366 mJ), 532 nm (185 mJ), 355 nm (83 mJ), and 266 nm (30 mJ). The OPO module provides a broadly tunable wavelength range from 410 nm to 2400 nm (up to 31 mJ per pulse).

Quantel Brilliant

Pulse duration: 4–6 ns.
Wavelengths & Energies: Fundamental outputs at 1064 nm (360 mJ), 532 nm (200 mJ), and 355 nm (100 mJ). The OPO module is tunable from 410 nm to 680 nm (10–22 mJ per pulse).

Time-Resolved Spectroscopy Modes

By synchronizing our VERTEX 80v spectrometer with our tunable laser systems using specialized delay generators, we can capture the kinetics of light-triggered molecular events across vast timescales.

Step-Scan FT-IR

Timescale: Microsecond to nanosecond resolution.

Ideal for highly reproducible, cyclic reactions (e.g., photocycle of Photoactive Yellow Protein). The scanning mirror stops at discrete points (steps), a laser pulse triggers the reaction, and the fast ADC captures the time-slice data before the mirror moves to the next position.

Rapid-Scan FT-IR

Timescale: Millisecond resolution.

Used for non-cyclic or slower kinetic processes. The interferometer mirror moves continuously at high velocities (e.g., 200 kHz scanner velocity), rapidly acquiring full interferograms in quick succession.