Researchers seeking a new ultraviolet spectrophotometer face no shortage of choices. Since making their first appearance on lab benches more than 60 years ago, UV specs have expanded and morphed into instruments that can handle a breadth of research applications, from the simplest single-wavelength measurements to high-performance, multispectrum analyses. Scientists must therefore keep their laboratories' specific needs in mind when making their choices. Features to consider include the intended applications, optical configuration and light sources, detection methods, sample format, and data management.
Traditionally, UV spectrophotometers come in either a single- or double-beam configuration. As their name suggests, single-beam instruments rely on one beam of light to make measurements. Light at a given wavelength passes first through a reference cell, then through the actual sample solution; the difference between the two measurements is the absorbance result.
Double-beam instruments split a light beam in two with a mirrored chopper wheel, alternating between ...
