SELF-ABSORPTION IN NEAR-INFRARED FOURIER-TRANSFORM RAMAN-SPECTROMETRY

The self-absorption effect is described and is considered in terms of how it might be expected to effect near-infrared Raman experiments. Experiments are detailed which dramatically demonstrate self-absorption in tetrahydrofuran. The results of these experiments are applied to some recently published unexplained observations, and it is thought that these observations may be fully explained by the self-absorption phenomenon. Discussion is presented of how to recognize and avoid or minimize self-absorption in quantitative Fourier transform Raman measurements.