Shimadzu FTIR talk letter Vol. 37

Importance of the topic

Mixed oxides and metal phosphates are pivotal for designing heterogeneous catalysts with tunable acid–base and redox properties, while advanced infrared (IR) microscopes and spectral libraries aid in material characterization, contamination analysis, and identification of environmental microplastics. Reliable access to FTIR instrumentation and spare parts underpins ongoing analytical and quality-control efforts across academia and industry.

Objectives and Overview

This collection of whitepapers and notes covers:

• Development of crystalline mixed-oxide catalysts and mechanistic studies by FTIR spectroscopy.
• Design and optical system innovations in the Shimadzu AIM-9000 IR microscope.
• Creation and application of a UV-Damaged Plastics Library for IR-based polymer identification.
• Notification of ended spare-parts support for legacy FTIR-8000/IRPrestige-21 series.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Catalyst research employed polyoxometalate-inspired solid catalysts, polymerized-complex and amino-acid precursor routes to synthesize perovskite oxides (SrMnO₃, BaFeO₃-δ, BaRuO₃) and monoclinic CePO₄, with in situ FTIR (including isotope-labeled O₂ adsorption) to track superoxo species and probe acid–base sites via pyridine, chloroform, acetone, and methanol adsorption. The AIM-9000 IR microscope features an FTIR light inlet, precision XYZ sample stage, reflective objective mirror, transmission condenser mirror, automated condenser positioning, configurable apertures, ellipsoidal MCT detector condenser, hot-mirror beam splitter, MCT detector (700–5 000 cm⁻¹), visible and wide-field cameras, and automated contaminant recognition. The UV-Damaged Plastics Library was built by irradiating 14 polymers with 150 mW/cm² UV for up to 550 h (equivalent to ~10 years outdoors) and collecting ATR-FTIR spectra (diamond prism).

Main Results and Discussion

Perovskite SrMnO₃ showed high yields (83 %) for 1-phenylethanol oxidation via reversible surface Mn–superoxo activation. Hexagonal BaFeO₃-δ and rhombohedral BaRuO₃ catalyzed selective oxidation of hydrocarbons and sulfides using O₂ only. CePO₄ exhibited uniform Lewis acid and weak base sites, achieving chemoselective acetalization of HMF and carbonyls with alcohols (up to 99 % yield) without side reactions. The AIM-9000’s design ensures high-sensitivity microscopic FTIR measurements down to 10 μm regions, seamless switching between visible and IR imaging, and automated aperture setting. The UV library reveals progressive C=O, C–O, and O–H band growth in PE, PP, and PET upon UV exposure, facilitating identification of microplastics degraded in the environment. Spares support for FTIR-8000/IRPrestige-21 has ended, prompting instrument upgrades to IRTracer-100, IRAffinity-1S, or IRSpirit.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Tailored mixed-oxide catalysts for selective oxidation and acid–base reactions using green oxidants.
• High-resolution IR microscopy for foreign object and microplastic analysis in foods, pharmaceuticals, and materials QA/QC.
• UV-Damaged Plastics Library enabling accurate polymer identification in environmental and degradation studies.
• Modern FTIR platforms minimizing downtime and providing expanded capabilities (e.g., compact footprint, modular accessories, ATR, microscope, polarizers).

Future Trends and Applications

Emerging directions include material informatics-driven catalyst design, nanostructure control for vacancy engineering, integration of electrical and electrochemical activation methods, further miniaturization and automation of IR microscopy, expansion of spectral libraries to cover weathered and thermally degraded polymers, and development of multifunctional analytical platforms combining spectroscopy with imaging modalities.

Conclusion

Advances in mixed-oxide catalysts, IR instrumentation, and spectral databases are converging to enable greener chemical processes and robust material characterization. Continued innovation—supported by reliable FTIR platforms—will drive progress in catalysis research, environmental monitoring, and quality assurance across diverse industries.

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