Stepping stones to vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy

Vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy, or VSFG, can help scientists probe the chemical structure and dynamics of materials interfaces, but incorporating the instrument into a research laboratory has historically been very difficult without nonlinear optical experience and training.

Carpenter and Baio reviewed the lasers used in VSFG, describing how these lasers influence VSFG for an audience of researchers from a variety of spectroscopic backgrounds. They emphasized the picosecond VSFG spectrometer, which has the potential to increase accessibility of the instrument because of its commercial availability.

The review is geared towards early-career scientists looking to bring VSFG to their lab, but can also serve as an introduction to key technical considerations related to VSFG for PhD students or postdocs working with the technique.

“Anyone who has even a passing interest in studying chemical structure, reactions, and/or dynamics at interfaces with the chemical selectivity of vibrational spectroscopies should read this review,” author Andrew Carpenter said. “If readers are interested in purchasing VSFG spectrometers for their own research lab, the review models how to approach the decision of which class of spectrometer (picosecond or broadband) is necessary and accessible for their specific research lab needs.”

Carpenter added that VSFG is applicable to many areas of research, such as atmospheric science, since chemical structure and reactivity at interfaces – which VSFG is designed to measure – are critical to understanding a wide variety of research topics.

“If there is an interface present in a reader’s research, then it is likely the chemical and interfacial specificity inherent to VSFG spectroscopy could illuminate important molecular scale details of their chemical system,” Carpenter said.

Source: “Choose your own adventure: Picosecond or broadband vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy,” by Andrew P. Carpenter and Joe E. Baio, Biointerphases (2022). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0001844 .

This paper is part of the Tutorials in Sum-Frequency Generation Spectroscopy Collection, learn more here .