Infrared spectrometers are expensive and powerful instruments that scientists use to analyze the chemical makeup of samples, and a new research project has shown what this technology would look like if it were packaged into a smartphone.
Citing the Newatlas page, this breakthrough relies on newly developed LEDs that can be tuned to detect different gases, and could potentially work into a compact device to detect everything from rotten food to imitation leather.
The study was carried out by scientists in the US and Australia, who are beginning to develop a more mobile form of the typically bulky infrared spectrometer used in research laboratories.
It works by exploding a sample with infrared radiation and then analyzing the resulting interactions, which vary depending on the molecules in the subject matter and how they absorb, emit, and reflect light.
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Chemists use this technology to study new compounds, or to help them synthesize new materials.
But adapting infrared spectroscopy to work in a more mobile format could open up some exciting possibilities, such as detecting gas leaks in mine shafts, or preventing food spoilage.
As they multiply, the bacteria in the meat produce a certain gas, the level of which can be used to indicate spoilage. The authors of the new study have taken a promising step toward this future.
“Our new technology binds a thin layer of black phosphor crystal to a flexible plastic-like substrate, allowing it to be bent in such a way that it causes the black phosphor to emit light of different wavelengths, essentially creating a tunable infrared LED that allows for the detection of multiple materials,” said University of Melbourne Professor Kenneth Crozier.
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“This technology can enter smartphones and become part of everyday use.”
Editor : Good Fit
Writer : Aris N
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