DCBaltimore

Baltimore-Washington Section of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy
May 2002

In this Issue:


Local Section News

A note from Kris Patterson, the Acting Chairman of the Baltimore-Washington section of the Society for Applied Spectrroscopy.

Our meeting for May. This will be held at NIST and will be featuring the SAS National Tour Speaker, Dr. Susan Plunkett. In addition to the late afternoon talk, there will be a tour of the new chemistry building at NIST and plan to follow that with an optional dinner at a local restaurant.
It is our hope that by reducing the number of meetings, reducing the cost and by having meetings that end earlier we can meet the needs of the membership. This also reduces that amount of work required to be an officer in the local society. In order for this section of the Society to continue to exist, it is necessary to have people that can volunteer time to serve as officers. The amount of time required is not great and there are plenty of people who have served as officers in the past that can offer advice and will help. Please contact Mike Epstein or myself if you even think that you might be interested.

Kristine Patterson, Ph.D.


Meeting Announcements

MAY 9 - National SAS Tour Speaker


Dr. Susan Plunkett
Philip Morris USA Research Center, Richmond, VA

Multi-component analysis of Cigarette Combustion Gases Using a High Resolution Mid-Infrared Tunable Diode Laser Spectrometer

A dual mid-infrared tunable diode laser system (IR-TDL) has been developed for the simultaneous detection of multiple gaseous components in cigarette smoke. The high spectral resolution (0.0006 cm-1) and rapid time response (20 Hz) of the TDL system are ideal for separating the absorptions from the multitude of gas phase components found in this matrix. The combustion products are sampled into either a 0.3 liter, 18 meter multiple pass absorption cell for time-resolved applications or into a 3.0 liter, 100 meter absorption cell for improved sensitivity. Two independent beam paths allow simultaneous detection in two wavelength regions; the first for ethylene and ammonia at ca. 965 cm-1 and the second for formaldehyde at ca. 2800 cm-1. A non-linear least squares procedure is used for on-line "fingerprint" fitting of up to four gases with each diode. We have observed as many as six gases (off-line) in a 0.3 cm-1 spectral range in the smoke matrix. Results demonstrating the instrument sensitivity and time response, and the complexity of the smoke matrix will be presented. New TDL applications, such as monitoring volatile reporter molecules in expired breath or in transdermal emissions as non-invasive bio-markers for early disease diagnosis will be discussed. Also new enabling technologies, such as quantum cascade lasers which operate near room temperature with a reliable spectral output as opposed to cryogenic semi-conductor-based lead-salt diode sources will be demonstrated.

Dr. Susan Plunkett received a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.A. in History (magna cum laude) from the University of Richmond, Richmond, VA in 1989. She performed graduate work at Duke University under the direction of Professor Richard A. Palmer, developing and applying time-resolved step-scan FT-IR spectroscopy to the study of the photodynamics of heme proteins and transition metal complexes. Susan conducted postdoctoral research with Professor Mark Braiman in the Biochemistry Department at University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. She used step-scan FTIR to study the photodynamics of the transmembrane chlorine pump halorhodopsin and developed supported planar germanium waveguides for obtaining mid-IR evanescent-wave absorption spectra from biomembranes of individual cells. In 1996 she joined Philip Morris, USA Research Center in Richmond, VA developing infrared spectroscopic methods to analyze cigarette smoke, particularly high resolution mid-infrared tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy.

Date: Thursday May 9, 2002

Place: Room A202, Building 227 (Advanced Chemical Sciences Laboratory), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md 20899

Time: Tour at 1:30 pm, talk at 3 pm.

Cost: None for the tour or talk. We will take the speaker to dinner after the talk and all are invited to join us at a local restaurant.

Reservations: Because of increased security at NIST (we are now a closed campus), ALL visitors must go through a security check at the main gate. I must have a list of all attendees by noon on Wednesday, May 8. If you plan to attend, you can contact me by email at michael.epstein@nist.gov or by phone at 301-975-8941. I will need your name, affiliation, and contact information. I will also arrange a tour of facilities for those who wish to come early, before the talk. More details shortly.

Directions: From northbound I-270 take Exit 10, Route 117 West, Clopper Road. Make sure you are on the auxillary access road as you near Gaithersburg rather than on the main 270, since the exit is difficult to make directly off 270. Go around the curve and get into the left lane. At the first light on Clopper Road, turn left onto the NIST grounds. As you near the guard house, turn right into the visitor parking lot and register at visitor security. If you have contacted me, they will have your name on the access list. When you leave the visitor parking lot, you will see the ACSL (Advanced Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Building 227) in front of you. Turn left and go around the curve and you will see the parking lot in front of the ACSL on your right. When you enter the building, go through the double set of doors and turn left, and take the elevator to the second floor, exit and turn right. Room A202 is immediately on your right. We will meet there at 1:30 pm for the tour. If you are not attending the tour, the seminar will be at 3 pm. We will decide on dinner plans after the talk.

From southbound I-270 take Exit 11, Route 124, Montgomery Village Avenue/Quince Orchard Road. Bear right at the first light onto Route 124 West, Quince Orchard Road. At the third light on Quince Orchard Road, turn left onto Route 117, West Diamond Avenue. Turn right at the first light onto NIST grounds and continue as above.


Your Baltimore-Washington Section Officers for 2001-2002:

Acting Chairman: Kris Patterson, USDA, 301-504-9010, patterson@307.bhnrc.usda.gov
Acting Chairman-Elect: Mike Epstein, 301-975-8941, michael.epstein@nist.gov
Secretary: vacant
Treasurer: Jeb Taylor, FDA, 301-827-5246, TAYLORJ@cder.fda.gov
Newsletter Editor: Kris Patterson, USDA, 301-504-9010, Fax: 301-504-9062, patterson@307.bhnrc.usda.gov
Science Fair and Student Award Committee: Bob Koons, FBI, 703-640-1538
Web page editor: Mike Epstein

Visit our local section sponsor WWW pages:

Spectral Dimensions, Inc. designs and manufactures chemical imaging instrumentation. It is a privately owned company with its principal office located in Olney, MD. The company was formed in response to an increasing demand for new and more powerful spectroscopic imaging technologies. Its product line encompasses systems for performing FT-IR, NIR, and Raman imaging in a variety of basic research and process control applications. For the next generation of FTIR, NIR, or Raman spectral imaging systems, contact us! Phone: (301) 260-0290 Fax: (301) 260-0292, Email: info@spectraldimensions.com.

The Perkin-Elmer Corporation - Analytical Instruments Division. Take a look and you will see more: The AA ANALYST systems have set a new standard for flame and furnace users, utilizing true STPF conditions and total automation. The State of the Art OPTIMA 3000 series systems having sold nearly 2000 units in less than four years, has become a staple for ICP-OES users. With simultaneous and sequential versatility, increased speed and the widest dynamic range for ICP. The industry leader ELAN 6000 ICP-MS system which is installed in more than 50% of all environmental laboratories using ICP-MS worldwide has continued to be a stellar performer. Each of these systems have set new standards for the Analytical World, and there is more to come. Northeast Region Sales and Service, Inorganic Division, 761 Main Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06859-0010, PH 800-762-4000, FAX 203-762-4222


Links to other local scientific organizations and conferences of interest:

Chemical Society of Washington, CSW, Local Section of the American Chemical Society

5th International Conference on Mid-Infrared Optoelectronics Materials and Devices, September 8-11, 2002, Annapolis, Maryland


Past Issues of the Baltimore-Washington Section Newsletter (including Historical Events in Chemistry for those months)

March 1999
April-May 1999
Summer 1999
September 1999
October 1999
November 1999
December 1999
January/Feb 2000
March 2000
April 2000
May 2000
November 2000
February 2001
April 2001

April 2002

April/May Historical Events in Chemistry and Spectroscopy by Leopold May, Department of Chemistry, Catholic University


Spectrum Go to the National SAS Home Page


For more information concerning Baltimore-Washington Section activities, email John S. Canham, john.s.canham.1@gsfc.nasa.gov


Page prepared by: Mike Epstein
Last Modified: May 1, 2002