title: Obtaining absorption spectra from single textile fibers using a liquid crystal tunable filter microspectrophotometer.
abstract: Visible absorption spectra were recorded for single textile fibers using a microspectrophotometer based on a liquid crystal tunable filter. Spectra compared well with results from a conventional instrument. Some advantages include very fast and simple sample preparation and easy comparison of multiple fibers at the same time. Advantages over extraction-dependent methods include the fact that it is applicable to extremely small sample size, not susceptible to artifacts induced by variable extraction efficiencies, non-destructive, and much easier. Because an immense amount of information is collected in one experiment, good signal averaging is possible, along with multiple comparisons for each data set. The addition of a camera, computer, and liquid crystal tunable filter can transform a standard microscope into a microspectrophotometer capable of performing similar work.
authors.affiliation: University of Saint Thomas, Chemistry Department, Saint Paul, MN 55105-1048, United States. Mark9816@stthomas.edu
authors.forename: Luke J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Markstrom
authors.forename: Gary A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Mabbott