title: Disposable attenuated total reflection-infrared crystals from silicon wafer: a versatile approach to surface infrared spectroscopy.
abstract: Attenuated total reflection-infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy is increasingly used to characterize solids and liquids as well as (catalytic) chemical conversion. Here we demonstrate that a piece of silicon wafer cut by a dicing machine or cleaved manually can be used as disposable internal reflection element (IRE) without the need for polishing and laborious edge preparation. Technical aspects, fundamental differences, and pros and cons of these novel disposable IREs and commercial IREs are discussed. The use of a crystal (the Si wafer) in a disposable manner enables simultaneous preparation and analysis of substrates and application of ATR spectroscopy in high temperature processes that may lead to irreversible interaction between the crystal and the substrate. As representative application examples, the disposable IREs were used to study high temperature thermal decomposition and chemical changes of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in a titania (TiO(2)) matrix and assemblies of 65-450 nm thick polystyrene (PS) films.
authors.affiliation: Mesoscale Chemical Systems Group, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands. e.karabudak@utwente.nl
authors.forename: Engin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karabudak
authors.forename: Recep
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kas
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ogieglo
authors.forename: Damon
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rafieian
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schlautmann
authors.forename: R G H
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Lammertink
authors.forename: Han J G E
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Gardeniers
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mul