Articles | Volume 7, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/jsss-7-207-2018
Special issue:
https://doi.org/10.5194/jsss-7-207-2018
Review paper
 | 
29 Mar 2018
Review paper |  | 29 Mar 2018

High-resolution ultrasonic spectroscopy

Vitaly Buckin

Abstract. High-resolution ultrasonic spectroscopy (HR-US) is an analytical technique for direct and non-destructive monitoring of molecular and micro-structural transformations in liquids and semi-solid materials. It is based on precision measurements of ultrasonic velocity and attenuation in analysed samples. The application areas of HR-US in research, product development, and quality and process control include analysis of conformational transitions of polymers, ligand binding, molecular self-assembly and aggregation, crystallisation, gelation, characterisation of phase transitions and phase diagrams, and monitoring of chemical and biochemical reactions. The technique does not require optical markers or optical transparency. The HR-US measurements can be performed in small sample volumes (down to droplet size), over broad temperature range, at ambient and elevated pressures, and in various measuring regimes such as automatic temperature ramps, titrations and measurements in flow.

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Short summary
The paper reviews the principles and applications of high-resolution ultrasonic spectroscopy in real-time, non-destructive analysis of molecular transformations, including transitions in polymers, ligand binding, self-assembly, crystallisation, gelation, phase diagrams, monitoring of chemical and biochemical reactions. High precision and useful capabilities of this technique enable its application in a broad range of systems, where other methods often fail or have high analytical cost.
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