Download Fluoromax-3 Operation_230309

Fluoromax-3
Procedure No.:
Procedure Title:
Revision:
Group:
Physics CR-???
Fluoromax-3
1
Date:
Author:
23rd March 2009
Fluoromax-3
A. Start
1. Turn on the Fluoromax-3 power (at the back of the equipment, on the right side, next to the
main plug). You should hear noise from fan and see the brand logo light on (blue light from a
small window on top surface of equipment, next to “FluroMax-3”). Give it some minutes to
warm up.
2. Turn on the computer and run Datamax. You will see a “Layout Selection” window.
3. Select “Generic Fluoromax-3” from “Layout Selection” window. (note: our Fluoromax-3
doesn’t have polarizers for autopolarized measurements) Give one minute for “Instrument
Control Center-Untitled” window come out.
B. Put sample into sample holder
4. Open the lid of sample chamber.
5. Fix a suitable sample holder into chamber if necessary. There are several holders for small
glass substrate, for cuvett with solution and for integrating sphere.
6. Mount sample onto the centre of sample holder with 45 to excitation and detector
windows.
7. Select “real time display” from “Instrument Control Center-Untitled” window. Enter a visible
wavelength to ext wavelength. Open enter slit to check if excitation light is on the sample. If
not, adjust sample.
8. Close the lid of sample chamber.
C. Run PL scan
7. Select “Run Experiment” from “Instrument Control Center-Untitled” window.
8. Select “Collect/Experiment”, then Click on the “Exp Type” button (at right end and middle
part of the window) and select the “Emission Acquisition” (top one of five options).
9. Set the scan parameters for the PL scan:
a. Enter experiment file name if you want to save scan parameters.
b. Enter the datafile name to which the scan will be saved. Maximum 8 numbers or
letters are allowed for file name.
c. Enter other scan parameters: Scan Start, Scan End (The limitation of end
wavelength is 850 nm), Increment (between 0.006 – 100 nm), Integration Time (between
0.001- 100 second), Excitation wavelength and Number of scan.
d. Click on the “Correction…” button to check if the right file, MCORRECT.SPC is
used for correction. Normally, it should not be changed.
e. Click on the “Signal…” button and enter signal modes you want to save. For
example, S, raw signal from the emission detector, S/R: corrected spectrum for variations in
lamp intensity with respect to time and excitation wavelength, R: photodiode monitor to the
lamp output due to spectral output and voltage fluctuations, Sc: corrected spectrum for
emission scan using MCORRECT.SPC as correction file.
f. Click on “slit…” button and enter excitation and emission slit in nm.
10. Run the experiment.
11. View spectrum on the screen.
a. If the signal (raw signal, S) level exceeds 4x10 6 cps then the emission detector is
saturating. Reduce the slit widths at least 50%.
b. If the signal is very weak, increase slit widths and/or Integration Time.
c. If the signal is too noisy, increase Integration Time and/or reduce Increment.
d. run experiment again until a desired PL spectrum can be obtained.
Note: a) 2nd order of excitation wavelength can overlap with emission spectrum. A long pass
(cut-off) filter can be used in front of detector slit to block it. Glass filter may give fluorescent
under UV excitation. (show graph). b) a ghost peak may appear at lext + 40 nm, which may
overlap with emission spectrum.
C. Switch-off and data convert
12. Close all the active window of Datamax on computer.
13. Take sample out from sample holder.
14. Turn off the Fluoromax power.
15. To convert spectrum data into XY file, click “Igor” on the computer desktop, enter
“Import\Fluorcence\load Spex 3, single file (or multiple file)”, open the data file need to be
converted, enter “Macros\export\export to XY file”, give file name and save.
Remarks
The Fluoromax should be used only after introduction by an experienced user .