Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is a technique that uses absorption of infrared energy to probe molecular structure. The acquisition of an FTIR spectrophotometer is crucial for enhancing the research environment of the modern chemistry department. In the Department of Chemistry at Columbia University the areas of chemical research that would be enhanced by access to FTIR spectroscopy include: 1) Investigations of artificial enzymes 2) Diode laser probes of vibrational and rotational distributions in reaction products and photofragments 3) FTIR investigation of metal amino acid complexes as probes of protein structure 4) FTIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopic investigation of organic molecules adsorbed on zeolites and porous silica 5) FTIR difference spectroscopy of bioactive molecules
