Confocal Raman microscopy in the visible and near infrared range for maximum flexibility of sample analysis

该提案将为具有可见光和近红外（NIR）激发波长的色散和FT-拉曼显微镜系统的重大维修和升级提供资金，该系统是在2010-2011年从CFI和之前的NSERC RTI购买的，目前安装在麦吉尔大学材料工程系的Cerruti实验室中。具有NIR激发的FT-拉曼光谱仪和具有可见光激发的色散共焦拉曼显微镜的组合允许分析各种各样的样品，包括当用可见光辐射激发时发荧光的样品，例如生物和有机金属样品。拉曼显微术通常使用可见光辐射，因为在该频率范围内收集的信号强度较大。用NIR辐射激发可防止荧光的发展，但具有低信噪比。采用近红外激发的FT拉曼光谱技术就是为了解决这个问题而开发的：从样品中收集的近红外辐射在到达检测器之前先通过干涉仪，从而可以在不到一秒的时间内收集整个光谱。通过积累数百个光谱，信噪比显著增加。具有近红外激发的FT-拉曼和具有可见光激发的色散拉曼共焦显微镜的组合，允许以微米分辨率收集这些不同波长的光谱图，在加拿大是独一无二的，在世界其他地方也非常罕见。这种独特的组合在过去10年中得到了广泛的应用，支持了NSERC资助的20名研究人员及其HQP项目。虽然该系统得到定期维护，但目前一个可见光激光器（532纳米）和用于探测近红外辐射的傅立叶变换拉曼探测器都出现故障;此外，色散和FT-拉曼系统都绝对需要工作站和软件升级以实现更平稳的操作，因为它们目前运行在一台过时的计算机上，这是唯一一台仍然可以支持2010年安装的软件的计算机。由于缺乏功能性近红外探测器和532 nm激光器，严重延迟（或完全阻止）了该仪器的四个共同申请人和12个主要用户的研究，以及属于9个不同部门的59个HQP的进展。拟议的维修将使这一独特的系统再次全面运作，并将由于软件和工作站的升级而提高其性能。HQP访问它将获得充分的实践经验，获得宝贵的技能，将适用于包括生物材料分析，生物技术，能源和环境材料的开发，生物材料，质量控制，等。共同申请人的多元化团队和许多EDI-PI为HQP招聘和培训实施的相关行动确保了各种HQP都能使用该工具，并始终感到欢迎使用。

This proposal is to fund major repairs and upgrades of a combined dispersive and FT-Raman microscopy system with both visible and near infrared (NIR) excitation wavelengths, which was purchased with funds from CFI and a previous NSERC RTI in 2010-2011 and is currently installed in Cerruti's laboratory in the department of Materials Engineering at McGill University. The combination of an FT-Raman spectrometer with NIR excitation and a dispersive confocal Raman microscope with visible excitation allows analyzing a wide variety of samples, including samples that fluoresce when excited with visible radiation, such as biological and organometallic samples. Raman microscopy conventionally uses visible radiation due to the larger intensity of signals collected in this frequency range. Excitation with NIR radiation prevents the development of fluorescence but has low signal-to-noise ratio. FT-Raman spectroscopy with NIR excitation was developed to solve this problem: the NIR radiation collected from the sample goes through an interferometer before hitting the detector, thus allowing the collection of a whole spectrum in less than a second. By accumulating hundreds of spectra the signal-to-noise ratio is dramatically increased. The combination of an FT-Raman with NIR excitation and a dispersive Raman confocal microscope with visible excitation, allowing to collect spectral maps at these different wavelengths with micrometer resolution, is unique in Canada and very rare elsewhere in the world. Such a unique combination has been widely used in the past 10 years, supporting the NSERC-funded programs of 20 researchers and their HQPs. Although the system has been maintained regularly, currently both one of the visible lasers (532 nm) and the detector of the FT-Raman, used to detect NIR radiation, are down; also, both the dispersive and the FT-Raman system absolutely require a workstation and software upgrade for smoother operation, as they are currently running on an obsolete computer that is the only one that can still support the software installed in 2010. The lack of a functional NIR detector and of the 532 nm laser are severely delaying (or completely preventing) the research from the four co-applicants and the 12 major users of the instrument, and the progress of their 59 HQPs belonging to 9 different departments. The proposed repairs will make this unique system fully operational again and will improve its performance thanks to the software and workstation upgrade. HQPs accessing it will get full hands-on experience, gaining valuable skills that will be applicable in fields including biological material analysis, biotechnology, development of materials for energy and environment, biomaterials, quality control, etc. The diverse team of co-applicants and the many EDI-related actions the PIs implement for HQP recruitment and training ensure that a diverse range of HQPs will have access to the instrument and feel always welcome to use it.