Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometers are a type of laboratory equipment used for measuring the absorbance of light by a sample in the ultraviolet and visible regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. These instruments are used in a wide range of scientific fields, including chemistry, biochemistry, and material science.
The UV-Vis spectrophotometer uses a light source that emits radiation in the UV and visible regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The radiation passes through the sample, and the amount of light absorbed by the sample is measured by a detector. The amount of absorption is proportional to the concentration of the absorbing species in the sample.
UV-Vis spectrophotometers are used for a variety of applications, such as determining the concentration of a substance in a solution, measuring the purity of a sample, and identifying the presence of specific compounds in a sample. They are also used for analyzing the electronic structure of molecules and for studying the kinetics of chemical reactions.
There are different types of UV-Vis spectrophotometers available, including single-beam, double-beam, and scanning instruments. Single-beam spectrophotometers are simple to use and are suitable for routine analysis. Double-beam spectrophotometers have a reference cell that compensates for changes in the intensity of the light source. Scanning spectrophotometers are used for analyzing the spectrum of a sample over a range of wavelengths.