New 224 nm Hollow Cathode Laser-UV Raman Spectrometer

We have developed an optimized high-throughput UV Raman spectrometer that utilizes a simple, inexpensive new 224.3 nm hollow cathode laser. This quasi-continuous wave (CW) 224.3 nm laser can be used to detect sub-ppm concentrations of aromatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aqueous solutions. This excitation is also useful for studying aromatic amino acids in proteins. We demonstrate the utility of this spectrometer to study the environments of tyr and trp in horse heart myoglobin.