FT laser raman spectrometer upgrades

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The Applicant seeks NSERC support to reinstate an inoperative laser Raman spectrometer that resulted when the system's laser recently failed, to upgrade the system's computer and operating software and to replace a faulty spectrometer power supply. Raman spectroscopy is a fundamental technique that examines molecular vibrations by analyzing the light scattered by a sample of a chemical compound when it is irradiated by laser light. These data can be used to identify and characterize the molecular structures of many materials. This instrument is essential to all of the Applicant's research programs. These include the search for new compounds with new or rare oxidation states, bonding and structures. Many of these compounds are fluorine compounds of the non-metallic and metallic elements of the Periodic Table and are extremely difficult to synthesize and manipulate. Such fragile compounds are at the limits of what is chemically possible and their oftentimes unusual combinations of the elements have unique properties and/or constitute systems that test the limits of and help to refine our current theories and models of electronic structure and bonding between atoms.