Ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy of catalysts and other solids

Resonance Raman spectroscopy measurements, which utilize ultraviolet (UV) excitation, appear to be very useful for the study of catalysts and other solids, which produce strong fluorescence that makes conventional Raman spectroscopy very difficult. In this article, we describe the instrumentation used in our laboratory for ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy and compare measurements using conventional, visible excitation with ultraviolet excitation at 257 nm. We also illustrate the versatility of the UV Raman technique by showing spectra obtained from a variety of solid samples that would be difficult if not impossible to measure using conventional Raman.