A hyperspectral Raman imaging systems for process analytical technology developments

本RTI提案要求一个高光谱拉曼成像系统。它将支持位于2所加拿大大学的5名共同申请者的研究项目。共同申请者需要高光谱成像设备来开发创新的过程分析技术（PAT），用于加拿大经济重要领域的实时过程监控和产品质量控制，包括先进材料、能源和油砂、二氧化碳捕获技术、生物能源和生物基产品以及制药生产。申请人已达到他们在大多数合作研究项目中使用的近红外化学成像（NIR-CI）设备的极限。目前的NIR-CI系统存在三个主要问题：1)它对表面吸附的水分高度敏感，这会干扰感兴趣的化合物的定量；2)它对无机化合物不敏感；3)化学图像的空间分辨率太低，无法达到期望的检测极限。近红外光谱是基于极性分子群的光子吸收，而拉曼光谱是基于对称（非极性）官能团对辐射的非弹性散射。这使得两种方法互补；用一种方法无法检测到的分子，用另一种方法可以很容易地检测到。拉曼系统将提供更具体的材料指纹，特别是分子和无机化合物的分类。它将允许提高化学图像相对于近红外的空间分辨率（即较低的检测极限），这是大多数项目所要求的。拉曼对水也不敏感，这是一种常见的干扰（吸附在材料表面的水分），强烈影响近红外光谱。拉曼设备将为共同申请者领导的合作研究项目提供进一步的发展和促进创新。它还将用于培训这些领域的相当数量的高素质人员。

A hyperspectral Raman imaging system is requested in this RTI proposal. It will support the research programs of 5 co-applicants located in 2 Canadian universities. The co-applicants need hyperspectral imaging equipment to develop innovative process analytical technologies (PAT) for real-time process monitoring and product quality control in important fields for the Canadian economy: advanced materials, energy and oil sands, CO2 capture technology, bio-energy and bio-based products, and pharmaceutical production. The applicants have reached the limit of the Near Infrared Chemical Imaging (NIR-CI) equipment they have been using in most of their collaborative research projects. There are three main issues with the current NIR-CI system: 1) it is highly sensitive to moisture adsorbed on surfaces, which interferes with the quantification of compounds of interest, 2) it is insensitive to inorganic compounds, 3) the spatial resolution of the chemical images is too low to achieve the desired limit of detection. NIR spectroscopy is based on photon absorption by polar molecular groups whereas Raman is based on inelastic scattering of radiations by symmetrical (non-polar) functional groups. This makes both methods complementary; molecules that cannot be detected with one method can be easily detected with the other. The Raman system will provide a more specific fingerprint of the materials allowing to discriminate classes of molecules and inorganic compounds, in particular. It will allow increasing the spatial resolution of the chemical images with respect to NIR (i.e. lower detection limit) which is required in most of the projects. Raman is also insensitive to water, which is a common interferent (moisture adsorbed on material surfaces) strongly affecting the NIR spectrum. The Raman equipment will provide further development and foster innovation in the collaborative research programs led by the co-applicants. It will also be used for training a significant number highly qualified personnel in these fields.