Fundamentals of ATR-FTIR
Spectroscopy and Its Role for Probing
In-Situ Molecular-Level Interactions
Harsharan Kaur, Bhawna Rana, Deepak Tomar, Sarabjeet Kaur,
and Kailash C. Jena
Abstract Infrared (IR) vibrational spectroscopy is the most reliable technique to
determine the molecular composition and structure of chemical compounds. In the
past two decades, with the advancement in the IR instrumentation, attenuated total
reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) vibrational spectroscopic tool
have taken an invaluable position in the field of chemistry, physics, material and
biological sciences. It readily probes the molecular structure, chemical interactions
and dynamics of the molecular species. Owing to its higher sensitivity with the
surrounding fluctuations, ATR-FTIR aids in extracting the information about the
molecular configuration and the local interactive framework of different analytes
existing in diverse morphological states. ATR-FTIR can be employed for interfacial
studies at distinct levels by varying the incident angle and the material used for ATR
crystal to obtain a required penetration depth of the IR beam in the sample medium
at the ATR crystal/sample interface. The current chapter introduces the background,
modern theoretical, and practical aspects of the ATR-FTIR spectroscopy descriptively. The chapter also previews a considerable amount of research currently pursued
in different application domains including bio-nano model systems, biomolecular assembly, binary solvents, forensics and electrochemical devices, covering the
molecular-scale perspectives using the ATR-FTIR vibrational spectroscopy.
Keywords Vibrational spectroscopy · ATR-FTIR spectroscopy · Evanescent
wave · Internal reflection elements · Molecular structure
H. Kaur · K. C. Jena (B)
Center for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, Rupnagar, Punjab
140001, India
e-mail: kcjena@iitrpr.ac.in
B. Rana · D. Tomar · S. Kaur · K. C. Jena
Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, Rupnagar, Punjab 140001, India
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
D. K. Singh et al. (eds.), Modern Techniques of Spectroscopy, Progress in Optical Science
and Photonics 13, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6084-6_1
3
Spectroscopy and Its Role for Probing
In-Situ Molecular-Level Interactions
Harsharan Kaur, Bhawna Rana, Deepak Tomar, Sarabjeet Kaur,
and Kailash C. Jena
Abstract Infrared (IR) vibrational spectroscopy is the most reliable technique to
determine the molecular composition and structure of chemical compounds. In the
past two decades, with the advancement in the IR instrumentation, attenuated total
reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) vibrational spectroscopic tool
have taken an invaluable position in the field of chemistry, physics, material and
biological sciences. It readily probes the molecular structure, chemical interactions
and dynamics of the molecular species. Owing to its higher sensitivity with the
surrounding fluctuations, ATR-FTIR aids in extracting the information about the
molecular configuration and the local interactive framework of different analytes
existing in diverse morphological states. ATR-FTIR can be employed for interfacial
studies at distinct levels by varying the incident angle and the material used for ATR
crystal to obtain a required penetration depth of the IR beam in the sample medium
at the ATR crystal/sample interface. The current chapter introduces the background,
modern theoretical, and practical aspects of the ATR-FTIR spectroscopy descriptively. The chapter also previews a considerable amount of research currently pursued
in different application domains including bio-nano model systems, biomolecular assembly, binary solvents, forensics and electrochemical devices, covering the
molecular-scale perspectives using the ATR-FTIR vibrational spectroscopy.
Keywords Vibrational spectroscopy · ATR-FTIR spectroscopy · Evanescent
wave · Internal reflection elements · Molecular structure
H. Kaur · K. C. Jena (B)
Center for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, Rupnagar, Punjab
140001, India
e-mail: kcjena@iitrpr.ac.in
B. Rana · D. Tomar · S. Kaur · K. C. Jena
Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, Rupnagar, Punjab 140001, India
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
D. K. Singh et al. (eds.), Modern Techniques of Spectroscopy, Progress in Optical Science
and Photonics 13, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6084-6_1
3