UV / VISIBLE

SPECTROSCOPY

Spectroscopy
It is the branch of science that deals
with the study of interaction of
matter with light.
OR
It is the branch of science that deals
with the study of interaction of
electromagnetic radiation with
matter.

Electromagne
tic Radiation

Electromagnetic Radiation
Electromagnetic radiation consist of
discrete packages of energy which
are called as photons.
A photon consists of an oscillating
electric field (E) & an oscillating
magnetic field (M) which are
perpendicular to each other.

Electromagnetic Radiation
Frequency ():
It is defined as the number of times
electrical field radiation oscillates in one
second.
The unit for frequency is Hertz (Hz).
1 Hz = 1 cycle per second

Wavelength ():
It is the distance between two nearest
parts of the wave in the same phase i.e.
distance between two nearest crest or

Electromagnetic Radiation
Amplitude
-The maximum extent of a vibration or
oscillation, measured from the position of
equilibrium. It is the intensity of wave. Its
unit is meter.

Electromagnetic Radiation
Sometimes radiation, mostly in the
infrared region is characterized by
another term known as the wave
number and is given as;
= 1/
Wave number means the number of
complete cycles occurring per centimeter.

Electromagnetic Radiation

The relationship between wavelength

& frequency can be written as:
c=
As photon is subjected to energy, so
E=h=hc/

c=
Wherein,
V = Frequency
C = Speed of light 3 X10 8 m/s
= wavelength

E=h=hc/
Where,
h= proportionality constant
=Planck's constant
=6.63 x 10-34J.s &
v= frequency

E = NA x h x v
Jmol-1= mol-1x J s x s-1
Most chemical energies are quoted in
Jmol-1or KJmol-1rather than in Joules for
an individual atom.
We therefore need to multiply our value
of h x v by the Avogadro constant to
obtain Jmol Avogadro constant
= NA= 6.02 x 1023mol-1
Energy = Avogadro constant x Plancks
constant x frequency
E = NAx h x v
Jmol-1= mol-1x J s x s-1

Electromagnetic Radiation

Electromagnetic Radiation

Violet
Indigo
Blue

400 - 420
nm
420 - 440
nm
440 - 490
nm

Yellow
Orange
Red

570 - 585
nm
585 - 620
nm
620 - 780
nm

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Electromagnetic spectrum
The range of all possible frequencies of
electromagnetic radiation.
The electromagnetic spectrum extends
from below the low frequencies used for
modern radio communication to gamma
radiation at the short-wavelength (highfrequency)
end,
thereby
covering
wavelengths
from
thousands
of
kilometers down to a fraction of the size
of an atom.

SAMPLE PROBLEMS:

SOLUTIONS

SOLUTIONS

SOLUTIONS

Principles of
Spectroscopy

Principles of Spectroscopy
The principle is based on the
measurement of spectrum of a
sample containing atoms / molecules.
Spectrum is a graph of intensity of
absorbed or emitted radiation by
sample verses frequency () or
wavelength ().
Spectrometer is an instrument design

Principles of Spectroscopy
1. Absorption Spectroscopy:
. An
analytical
technique
which
concerns with the measurement of
absorption
of
electromagnetic
radiation.
. e.g. UV (185 - 400 nm) / Visible (400 800
nm)
Spectroscopy,
IR
Spectroscopy (0.76 - 15 m)

UV VIS SPECTROMETER

Principles of Spectroscopy
2. Emission Spectroscopy:
. An analytical technique in which
emission (of a particle or radiation)
is dispersed according to some
property of the emission & the
amount of dispersion is measured.
. e.g. Mass Spectroscopy

Interaction of EMR
with
Matter

Interaction of EMR with

matter
1. Electronic Energy Levels:
. At room temperature the molecules are
in the lowest energy levels E0.
. When the molecules absorb UV-visible
light from EMR, one of the outermost
bond / lone pair electron is promoted to
higher energy state such as E1, E2, En,
etc is called as electronic transition and
the difference is as:
E = h = En - E0 where (n = 1, 2, 3, etc)
E = 35 to 71 kcal/mole

Interaction of EMR with

matter
2. Vibrational Energy Levels:
. These are less energy
electronic energy levels.

level

than

. The spacing between energy levels are

relatively small i.e. 0.01 to 10 kcal/mole.
. e.g. when IR radiation is absorbed,
molecules
are
excited
from
one
vibrational level to another or it vibrates
with higher amplitude.

Interaction of EMR with

matter
3. Rotational Energy Levels:
. These energy levels are quantized &
discrete.
. The spacing between energy levels
are even smaller than vibrational
energy levels.
Erotational < Evibrational < Eelectronic

Lamberts
Law

Lamberts Law
When a monochromatic radiation is
passed through a solution, the
decrease in the intensity of radiation
with thickness of the solution is
directly proportional to the intensity
of the incident light.
Let I be the intensity of incident
radiation.
x be the thickness of the

Lamberts Law
dI

I
dx
So,

dI
KI
dx

Integrate equation between limit

I = Io at x = 0 and
I = I at x=l,
We get,

I
ln
Kl
I0

Lamberts Law
I
2.303 log
Kl
I0
I
K
log

l
I0
2.303
I0
A
Where, log
Absorbance
I
K
Absorption
E
coefficient
2.303
A E.l

Lamberts
Law

Beers
Law

Beers Law
When a monochromatic radiation is
passed through a solution, the decrease in
the intensity of radiation with thickness of
the solution is directly proportional to the
intensity of the incident light as well as
concentration of the solution.
Let I be the intensity of incident radiation.
x be the thickness of the solution.
C be the concentration of the solution.
Then

Beers Law
dI

C .I
dx
So,

dI
K ' C.I
dx

Integrate equation between limit

I = Io at x = 0 and
I = I at x=l,
We get,

I
ln
K ' C.l
I0

Beers Law
I0
2.303 log K .C.l
I
I0
K
log

C.l
I
2.303
I
Where, log 0 Absorbance
A
I
Molar
K
E
extinction
2.303
coefficient
A E.C.l

Beers Law

Beers Law
A E.C.l
I
T
I0

I
A
OR log T log
I0

From the equation it is seen that the

absorbance which is also called as optical
density (OD) of a solution in a container of
fixed path length is directly proportional to
the concentration of a solution.

PRINCIPLES OF
UV - VISIBLE
SPECTROSCOPY

Principle
The UV radiation region extends
from 10 nm to 400 nm and the
visible radiation region extends from
400 nm to 800 nm.
Near UV Region: 200 nm to 400 nm
Far UV Region: below 200 nm
Far UV spectroscopy is studied
under vacuum condition.
The common solvent used for
preparing sample to be analyzed is

Electroni
c

The possible electronic transitions

can graphically shown as:

* transition

* transition

n * transition

n * transition

* transition

* transition

The possible electronic transitions

are

* transition

electron from orbital is excited to

corresponding anti-bonding orbital
*.
The energy required is large for this
transition.
e.g. Methane (CH4) has C-H bond
only and can undergo *

* transition

electron in a bonding orbital is

excited to corresponding antibonding orbital *.
Compounds
containing
bonds
like
alkenes,
carbonyl,
nitriles,
compounds, etc undergo
transitions.

multiple
alkynes,
aromatic
*

n * transition

Saturated compounds containing

atoms with lone pair of electrons like
O, N, S and halogens are capable of
n * transition.
These transitions usually requires
less energy than * transitions.
The number of organic functional
groups with n * peaks in UV

n * transition

An electron from non-bonding orbital

is promoted to anti-bonding *
orbital.
Compounds containing double bond
involving hetero atoms (C=O, CN,
N=O) undergo such transitions.
n * transitions require minimum
energy and show absorption at

5
&

* transition
* transition

These electronic transitions are

forbidden transitions & are only
theoretically possible.
Thus, n * & * electronic
transitions show absorption in region
above 200 nm which is accessible to
UV-visible spectrophotometer.
The UV spectrum is of only a few

Terms used in
UV / Visible
Spectroscopy

Chromophore
The part of a molecule responsible for
imparting
color,
are
called
as
chromospheres.
OR
The functional groups containing
multiple bonds capable of absorbing
radiations above 200 nm due to n *
& * transitions.
e.g. NO2, N=O, C=O, C=N, CN, C=C,

Chromophore
To interpretate UV visible spectrum
following points should be noted:
1. Non-conjugated alkenes show an intense
absorption below 200 nm & are therefore
inaccessible to UV spectrophotometer.
2. Non-conjugated
carbonyl
group
compound give a weak absorption band
in the 200 - 300 nm region.

Chromophore
e.g.
nmH3C

O
C

Acetone which has max = O

279
CH3

and that cyclohexane has max = 291

nm.
When double bonds are conjugated
in a compound max is shifted to longer
CH3
wavelength. CH2
H2C
H3C
e.g. 1,5 - hexadiene has max = 178 nm

Chromophore
3. Conjugation of C=C and carbonyl
group shifts the max of both groups
to longer wavelength.
O
e.g. Ethylene has max = 171 nm
C

H2C CH2 has max = 279

Acetone
H3C nmCH3

Crotonaldehyde
has max = 290
O
nm

H2C

C
CH3

Auxochrome
The functional groups attached to a
chromophore which modifies the ability
of the chromophore to absorb light ,
altering the wavelength or intensity of
absorption.
OR
The functional group with non-bonding
electrons that does not absorb
radiation in near UV region but when
attached to a chromophore alters the
wavelength & intensity of absorption.

Auxochrome
e.g. Benzene max = 255 nm
OH

Phenol max = 270 nm

NH2

Aniline max = 280 nm

Absorption
& Intensity
Shifts

Bathochromic Shift (Red Shift)

Hypsochromic Shift (Blue Shift)

Hyperchromic Effect

Hypochromic Effect

Bathochromic Shift (Red Shift)

When absorption maxima (max) of a

compound
shifts
to
longer
wavelength,
it
is
known
as
bathochromic shift or red shift.
The effect is due to presence of an
auxochrome or by the change of
solvent.
e.g. An auxochrome group like OH,

Bathochromic Shift (Red Shift)

In alkaline medium, p-nitrophenol

shows red shift. Because negatively
charged oxygen delocalizes more
effectively than the unshared pair of
electron.
O
O
O
O
+
+
N

OH

Alkaline
OH

medium

p-nitrophenol

Hypsochromic Shift (Blue Shift)

When absorption maxima (max) of a

compound
shifts
to
shorter
wavelength,
it
is
known
as
hypsochromic shift or blue shift.
The effect is due to presence of an
group causes removal of conjugation
or by the change of solvent.

Hypsochromic Shift (Blue Shift)

Aniline shows blue shift in acidic

medium, it loses conjugation.
NH2

NH3 Cl

Acidic
medium

Aniline
max = 280 nm

max = 265 nm

Hyperchromic Effect

When absorption intensity () of a

compound is increased, it is known as
hyperchromic shift.
If auxochrome introduces to the
compound, the intensity of absorption
increases.
N

Pyridine

CH3

2-methyl pyridine

Hypochromic Effect

When absorption intensity () of a

compound is decreased, it is known
as hypochromic shift.
CH3

Naphthalene
naphthalene
= 19000

2-methyl
= 10250

Shifts and Effects

Absorbance ( A )

Hyperchromic shift

Red
shift

Blue
shift

Hypochromic shift
max
Wavelength ( )

INSTRUMENTATIO
N

CHOICE OF SOLVENT

APPLICATIONS
OF
UV / VISIBLE
SPECTROSCOPY

Applications
Qualitative & Quantitative Analysis:
It is used for characterizing aromatic
compounds and conjugated olefins.
It can be used to find out molar
concentration of the solute under study.

Detection of impurities:
It is one of the important method to detect
impurities in organic solvents.

Detection of isomers are possible.

Determination of molecular weight using
Beers law.