The spectrometer has a spectral range from 25,000-50 cm-¹, expanding the range of the applications and experiments that can be performed. This provides access to the far-IR, near-IR, visible and FT-Raman spectral domains through a variety of beam splitter, source, detector, and beam path choices. The Magna 560 FT-IR system is equipped with "Diffuse Reflectance" accessories including a "High Temperature / Vacuum Chamber". This enables in situ analysis of powdered samples under non-ambient conditions. Specialized experiments to simulate process conditions can be designed.

At CAMMP, FTIR spectroscopy is used to determine a variety of materials' properties including structural details, the nature of OH groups in zeolites (Figure 2), and the type, strength, and distribution of acid sites in zeolites as well as other porous materials.

Figure 2: Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform (DRIFT) spectra in the OH-stretching region of zeolite H-Beta-25 from Sud-Chemie, recorded at 100 C under dry nitrogen flowing at 33 ml/min (STP): (a) sample A pretreated at 500 C and then activated at 500 C; (b) sample B pretreated at 500 C and then activated at 700 C; (c) sample C pretreated at 700 C and then activated at 500 C. Pretreatment was performed in a conventional furnace under ambient air by heating at a rate of 1 C/min (samples A and B) or 10 C/min (sample C). Activation was performed in the spectrometer under dry nitrogen flow (33 ml/min, STP) by heating at a rate of 1 C/min (samples A, B, and C). Sample C showed the highest integral IR intensity of the 3782 cm^-1 band, assigned to the Al species still associated with the framework. Sample B showed the highest integral IR intensity of the 3665 cm^-1 band, assigned to the Al species with octahedral symmetry, partially attached to the framework (Akata et al., Journal of Catalysis, 2004, 222: 397-403).