Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer

An FTIR spectrometer is an analytical instrument that measures how a sample absorbs infrared light to produce a molecular fingerprint, enabling qualitative and quantitative analysis.

FTIR spectroscopy works by passing broadband infrared radiation through a sample. Molecules in the sample absorb specific frequencies corresponding to vibrational and rotational transitions, producing a unique absorption spectrum that acts as a molecular fingerprint. Unlike traditional dispersive infrared spectrometers, FTIR uses a Michelson interferometer to split and recombine light beams, creating an interferogram. This interferogram contains information from all infrared frequencies simultaneously. A Fourier transform converts the time-domain interferogram into a frequency-domain spectrum, revealing the absorption peaks.