Optical spectroscopy is an important workhorse in the analysis of chemical compounds. It helps to identify molecules based on their functional groups and spatial conformation. In general, optical spectroscopy is not sensitive to the size of the molecules.

Inspired by an already existing approach in NMR spectroscopy, we now applied the principle of diffusion ordered spectroscopy to optical (infrared, Raman and Uv/Vis) spectroscopy. The molecules present in a sample are separated based on their diffusion behaviour prior to spectral analysis. Optical-DOSY relies on the fact that the diffusion of a molecule is determined completely by its size – a concept that was first established by Albert Einstein in his 1905 classic paper on the brownian motion of microscopic particles.

To perform optical DOSY, all you need is a spectrometer and our chip!