A method for generating quantitative vapor-phase infrared spectra of solids: results for phenol, camphor, menthol, syringol, dicyclopentadiene and naphthalene

Here, a method is presented to generate quantitative vapor-phase infrared spectra from substances that naturally occur as solids with moderate volatility. The solid is gravimetrically dissolved into a solvent that has few infrared spectral features, typically CS₂ and CCl₄ separately. The solution is flowed at a constant rate from a linearly pumped syringe into a metered stream of nitrogen carrier gas regulated by a mass flow controller. The analyte/solvent mix is flash vaporized by volatilizing the solution across a heated stainless-steel surface as it emanates from the syringe tip. The N₂ gas-solution mixture is flowed into a long-path White cell thermostatted at a desired temperature, the long optical path compensating for the modest analyte mixing ratio. A composite spectrum is generated from typically ten or more 760-Torr pressure-broadened spectra over the 600 to 6500 cm^-1 spectral range at 0.1 cm^-1 spectral resolution. The solid analytes reported here using this novel technique include dicyclopentadiene, menthol, syringol, phenol, camphor, and naphthalene.. Authors: Schneider, Matthew D.W. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)]; Baker, Tracy J. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)]; Scharko, Nicole K. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)]; Blake, Thomas A. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)]; Tonkyn, Russell G. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)]. DOE Contract: AC05-76RL01830. Subjects: 46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; FTIR; Infrared; absorption coefficients; camphor naphthalene; database; dicyclopentadiene; gas-phase spectra; menthol; phenol; solid vapor; syringol