Generalized Two-Dimensional Correlation Spectroscopy

Publisher Summary Generalized two-dimensional (2D) correlation spectroscopy is described to show how this technique can be applied to a very broad range of spectral analysis problems. In this spectroscopy, the underlying similarity or dissimilarity among systematic variations in spectroscopic signal intensities is examined. It develops parallel to multiple pulse-based 2D spectroscopy techniques and employs a somewhat different approach to constructing 2D spectra. The signal variations are induced by an external perturbation or physical stimulus applied to the sample, and the pattern of the intensity variation is systematically analyzed by a simple cross-correlation technique. The correlation intensities thus obtained are displayed in the form of a 2D map defined by two independent spectral axes for further analysis. Such a 2D map is referred to as a 2D correlation spectrum, even though many of today's 2D correlation studies include applications in the field outside of spectroscopy, such as chromatography and microscopy. An illustrative example is given for the analysis of attenuated total reflection (ATR) IR spectra collected during the crystallization of biodegradable polymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) to demonstrate the merits of this technique, such as the enhancement of spectral resolution, detection of coordinated changes among spectral signals, and determination of relative directions and sequential order of intensity variations.