Optical contact in ATR/FT-IR spectroscopy

Optical contact between an internal reflection element (IRE) and a sample is crucial for obtaining a good spectrum in an attenuated total reflection (ATR) experiment. When an air gap is present between the IRE and the sample, the spectrum severely deteriorates. Two techniques for determining the goodness of contact are proposed - first, by making a comparison between polarized ATR spectra and, second, by making a comparison between ATR and transmission spectra. When the optical contact is achieved, the normalized p-polarized ATR spectrum is exactly the same as the normalized s-polarized ATR spectrum. Moreover, the ratio between the normalized absorbance measured in the ATR mode and the normalized absorbance measured in the transmission mode equals the ratio between the frequency being considered and the normalization frequency. Theoretical and experimental investigations have been performed in order to verify the proposed techniques.