Miniature NIR Spectrometers: Designed for Harsh Environments

Researchers from Jiangnan University introduced a sensitive, selective, and highly adaptable new probe for detecting hydrazine.

An interview with Charles Wilkins, the winner of the 2013 American Chemical Society Division of Analytical Chemistry Award in Chemical Instrumentation, sponsored by the Dow Chemical Company.

Elemental analysis is crucial in a wide variety of applications from detecting toxic elements within the environment, to ensuring drinking water is safe for human consumption, to food product safety. ICP-MS—able to measure an atom’s mass—offers low detection limits in the range of parts per trillion (ppt), making it a widely used method that can detect toxic elements well below regulatory limits. This paper expands upon how new ICP-MS technology can meet the challenges associated with heightened demands for element analysis and the hurdles laboratories face when analyzing high-matrix samples.

New predictive models promise to revolutionize livestock feeding strategies in one of China’s most important pastoral regions.

Researchers have developed a wireless, wearable brain-monitoring device using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to detect cognitive fatigue in real time. The miniaturized system enables mobile brain activity tracking, with potential applications in driving, military, and high-stress work environments.

A recent review article highlights the promise of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for on-farm analysis of liquid organic manure.