title: Estimation of minimum detectable sample concentrations obtained with near and middle infrared detectors for infrared absorption spectrophotometry.
abstract: An expression is given to allow estimation of the minimum detectable sample concentration of a molecular absorber measured by any infrared spectrophotometer using photon or thermal detectors. Typical plots are given of minimum detectable sample concentration vs. wavelength for a hypothetical absorber with a molar absorptivity of unity and for several different photon and thermal detectors. Such plots, used along with the general expression, are useful for selecting the optimum detector for a given infrared measurement and for estimation of the minimum detectable sample concentration measured by a specific spectrometric system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32601, U.S.A.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Winefordner
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cetorelli
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: McCarthy