Analytical Sciences

Optical Cell with a Temperature-Control Unit for a Vacuum-Ultraviolet Circular Dichroism Spectrophotometer

Koichi MATSUO,* Kenichi SAKAI,* Yosuke MATSUSHIMA,* Takayuki FUKUYAMA,* and Kunihiko GEKKO*^,** 

*Department of Mathematical and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan
**Hiroshima Synchrotron Radiation Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan

We constructed an assembled-type MgF₂ cell that can function under a high vacuum (10^-4 Pa), and is capable of measuring the vacuum-ultraviolet circular dichroism (VUVCD) spectrum in a wavelength region down to 140 nm for aqueous solutions. Its path length can be adjusted by various spacers in the range from 1.3 to 50 um. The temperature-control unit of the cell was also constructed with a Peltier thermoelectric element to keep the temperature of a sample within an accuracy of ±1°C in the temperature range from -30 to 70°C. The optical cell and the temperature-control unit were confirmed to have good performance by monitoring the VUVCD spectra of ammonium d-camphor-10-sulfonate and myoglobin aqueous solutions. This cell is available not only for VUVCD spectroscopy, but also for vacuum-ultraviolet absorption measurements.

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