Measurement of Absorption and Scattering with an Integrating Sphere Detector: Application to Microalgae.

Published

March 1, 2009

Author(s)

Adolfas K. Gaigalas, Hua-Jun He, Lili Wang

Abstract

A commercial spectrometer with an integrating sphere (IS) detector was used to measure the absorbance of scattering and absorbing suspensions. Analysis of the measurement process showed that two measurements of the absorbance, one with the cuvette placed in the normal spectrometer position, and the second with the cuvette placed next to the entrance aperture of the IS detector, provide enough information to separate the contributions from scattering and molecular absorption. Measurements were carried out with mixtures of microspheres and absorbing molecules. Two cases were examined: microspheres suspended in an aqueous fluorescein solution, and microspheres suspended in an aqueous holmium oxide solution. In both cases, the proposed measurement model gave results which were in good agreement with the expected response. Measurements on microalgae suspensions yielded a molecular absorption contribution and a scattering contribution. The scattering contribution had significant spectral structure which was inversely related to the molecular absorption contribution. The scattering and molecular absorption contributions may provide independent information on the status of chlorophyll molecules and the structure of chloroplasts in microalgae.

Citation

Journal of Research (NIST JRES) -

Volume

114

Issue

2

NIST Pub Series

Journal of Research (NIST JRES)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Keywords

microalgae, absorbance, scattering, integrating sphere detector

Citation

Gaigalas, A. , He, H. and Wang, L. (2009), Measurement of Absorption and Scattering with an Integrating Sphere Detector: Application to Microalgae., Journal of Research (NIST JRES), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD (Accessed October 11, 2025)