Agilent Community
Agilent Community
  • User
  • Site
  • Search the Community
  • User
  • Home
  • Technical Areas
    Technical Areas
    • AssayMap
    • Atomic Spectroscopy
    • Automated Electrophoresis
    • Cell Analysis
    • Consumables
    • CrossLab Connect
      CrossLab Connect
      • Service Management
      • Smart Alerts
    • Dissolution
    • GC
    • GC/MS
    • iLab Operations Software
    • LC
    • LC/MS
    • Life Sciences Reagents
    • Molecular Spectroscopy
      Molecular Spectroscopy
      • Molecular Spectroscopy - UV-Vis & UV-Vis-NIR, FTIR, Raman & Fluorescence
      • 8700 LDIR User Group
      • Transmission Raman User Group
    • Real-Time PCR (qPCR)
    • Sample Preparation
    • Software
      Software
      • Chromatography Software
        OpenLab CDS, OpenLab ChemStation, OpenLab EZChrom
      • Data Management Software
        OpenLab ECM, OpenLab ECM XT, OpenLab Server
      • Mass Spectrometry Software
        Data Analysis, Data Acquisition, Productivity App, WalkUp Software
    • Vacuum
  • Applications Areas
    Applications Areas
    • Basic Research
    • Energy and Chemicals
    • Environmental
    • Food and Agriculture
  • Agilent Knowledge Portal
  • Links
    Links
    • Collection of Support Resources
    • Webinar Notifications
    • Contact Support
    • User Contributions
  • Getting Started
    Community Help and Resources
  • Browse
    Browse
    • People
    • Places
    • Your View
    • Your Community Inbox
Molecular Spectroscopy
  • Technical Areas
Molecular Spectroscopy
Wiki Resolve Raman General FAQs
  • Announcements
  • Blog
  • Forum
  • Wiki
  • More
  • Cancel
Actions
  • Share
  • More
  • Cancel
Table of Contents
  • Molecular Spectroscopy Support, Applications & eLearning Resources
  • +UV-Vis & UV-Vis-NIR Spectroscopy Resources
  • FTIR Spectroscopy Resources
  • -Raman Spectroscopy Resources
    • -Resolve Handheld Raman Analyzer FAQs
      • Resolve Raman General FAQs
      • Resolve Application FAQs
      • Resolve Libraries and Results FAQs
      • Resolve Maintenance and Accessories FAQs
  • Fluorescence Spectroscopy Resources
  • LDIR Chemical Imaging Spectroscopy Resources
Still Need Help?

Post your question in our User Forum or Contact Support.

Resolve Raman General FAQs

Created by Oliver Presly Oliver Presly 4 months ago

How does the Resolve handheld Raman analyzer work?

The Resolve system is a Raman spectrometer and uses Raman spectroscopy—a well stablished spectroscopic technique—for chemical identification of a wide variety of substances.

Typically, the Raman technique uses a monochromatic light source, such as a laser, to illuminate a sample. A small proportion of the light that is scattered from the sample changes in energy, based on specific energy levels in the molecule. This is collected and separated by a spectrograph. The resulting spectrum can be matched to a known library spectrum to provide identification of a single chemical or a mixture. Resolve is unique as it uses a Raman variant, spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS), to conduct Raman measurements through colored and opaque materials—meaning it can identify what is inside a wide variety of sealed containers.

Learn about the fundamentals of Raman spectroscopy and how Raman spectrometers work:

  • What is Raman Spectroscopy? – A comprehensive FAQ guide to all things Raman

Is the Agilent Resolve just another Raman spectrometer?

The Resolve Raman system is the world’s only handheld Raman system that enables true through-barrier identification of hazardous or contraband materials. Unique to Agilent, our proprietary handheld spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) technology enables positive identification through a wide range of sealed nonmetallic containers, barriers, and packaging, eliminating the need to open the container.

SORS works through many millimeters of material, enabling accurate chemical analysis through barriers such as paper, glass, plastic, fabric, and even skin. The method requires no previous knowledge of the container or surface material and does not require direct physical contact.

Find more information on SORS and its applications:

  • Spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) technology guide

How does Raman compare to FTIR?

Both Raman and FTIR are spectrally detailed techniques containing functional group and so-called fingerprint regions. The vast majority of chemicals are both Raman and mid-infrared (MIR) active and their spectral signatures are both complementary and supplemental. FTIR and Raman peaks/bands are both derived from symmetry rules—whilst FTIR requires a degree of dipole moment for a peak to be active, Raman spectroscopy relies on polarizability. These two qualities are not mutually exclusive, and the two techniques work very well together. For example, the complexity and variety of narcotics and hazardous chemicals often benefit from a dual identification approach, where the parallel Raman and FTIR data enables a positive identification which would be difficult with any single technique.

For more information:

  • Combined spectroscopy techniques for narcotic identification - 2022 - Wiley Analytical Science
  • What Is FTIR Spectroscopy? – A comprehensive FAQ guide to all things FTIR

The most popular technique for FTIR by far uses a diamond ATR (attenuated total reflectance) interface, which requires that a sample or an aliquot of powder be transferred atop a crystal and then a clamp provides considerable force to ensure contact with the crystal. Raman spectrometers can be used for most samples through clear bags or simple clear containers, without the need for sample removal. Resolve’s through-barrier SORS capability expands the range of containers where sampling is not needed to many opaque and colored containers.

Overall, the main points when comparing Raman to FTIR for hazardous material detection are:

  • Raman is non-destructive - samples do not need to be crushed or ground.
  • Raman is non-invasive - samples do not need to be removed from a container or decanted in most cases. SORS increases this capability.
  • Raman is insensitive to water in aqueous systems.
  • The spectral detail is equally as high for both techniques.

What can the Resolve handheld Raman analyzer identify?

Raman has a wide variety of applications as it can be used to analyze many different samples. In general, it is suitable for analysis of:

  • Pure chemicals, mixtures, and solutions
  • Solids, powders, liquids, gels, slurries, and gases
  • Inorganic, organic, and some biological materials

Typical examples where Raman is used today for field detection include:

  • Explosives
  • Drugs of abuse
  • Pharmaceutical drugs
  • Toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) and toxic industrial materials (TIMs)
  • Common chemicals
  • Food samples
  • Geological samples
  • Academic research in the field or a lab

Learn more:

  • Resolve application literature
  • Resolve application videos

More Resolve FAQs:

  • Resolve Application FAQs
  • Resolve Libraries and Results FAQs
  • Resolve Maintenance and Accessories FAQs
  • field detection
  • Raman
  • Raman spectroscopy
  • cbrn
  • hazmat
  • sors
  • Resolve
  • narcotics id
  • spatially offset raman spectroscopy
  • Share
  • History
  • More
  • Cancel
  • Sign in to reply
Was this helpful?
  • Yes
  • No
Thank you for your feedback!

Agilent Community Feedback

Agilent Community Feedback

×
We are glad this was helpful! We are sorry this was not helpful. If you still need assistance please create a community post or contact support. To help us improve, please provide any additional feedback. For full details of how we will treat your information, please view our privacy policy.
Submit Cancel
Submit Cancel
Related
Privacy Statement
Terms of Use
Contact Us
Site Help