Vibrational Spectroscopy and the story of Nicolet and Thermo Scientific
In 1634 French adventurer Jean Nicolet became the first European to set foot on the land that is now Wisconsin. In the spirit of the traveler who explored all around Lake Michigan, the scientific explorers of Thermo Fisher Scientific continue to develop new means to see the world at the molecular level. What started as one instrument at the Nicolet Instrument Corporation in 1971 in Madison, Wisconsin—a small but forward-looking company named in honor of the area’s intrepid adventurer of yore—has grown into a wide array of vibrational spectroscopy instruments under the Thermo Scientific brand.
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Nicolet headquarters, Madison, WI, 1971
In 1977 the company introduced its very first Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, the Nicolet 7199. It looked roughly the size of a picnic table, if the picnic table were encased in blue Formica and attached to a printer. And with it, the era of Nicolet’s vibrational spectroscopy expertise began.
Applications of vibrational spectroscopy
Applications of vibrational spectroscopy expanded over the next decade, and Nicolet continued to innovate and grow their catalogue as well. When, in the 1980s, research scientist Karl Norris at the USDA pioneered the use of near-IR (NIR) spectroscopy to assess the quality of agricultural products, Nicolet was well positioned to provide instrumentation to food scientists. In the following years NIR applications were developed in chemical, polymer, and petroleum industries. Applications of vibrational spectroscopy quickly followed in the pharmaceutical industry, biomedical sciences, and environmental analysis.
It was also in the 1980s that spectral analysis became significantly easier, thanks to a new technology: the personal computer. Nicolet technicians were able to write a program for PCs interfaced directly with the spectrometer, and they named it OMNIC. Designed specifically for IR spectroscopy, OMNIC was able to perform specialized tasks like searching for specific peaks within collected spectra.
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Nicolet 7199 FTIR Spectrometer
In July of 1992, Thermo Instrument Systems, predecessor of Thermo Fisher Scientific, purchased the Nicolet Instrument Corporation. This brought together the innovation and specialized expertise of the Nicolet spectroscopy team with the productivity experts at Thermo Instrument Systems.
The combination of experience and productivity meant that Thermo Electron, as the merged company was named, quickly became a widely known and trusted name in vibrational spectroscopy. Groups in industry and academia extolled the virtues of the instruments.
Vibrational Raman spectroscopy
Thermo Electron expanded yet again, merging with Fisher Scientific to form Thermo Fisher Scientific in May 2006. The expanded company could dedicate even more resources toward providing integrated, end-to-end technical solutions and state-of-the-art instrumentation, including new innovations in the Nicolet line of IR spectrometers and a full line of Raman instruments. Computer interfacing advanced as modern computers incorporated more and more processing power. OMNIC software continued to develop as well, incorporating increasing complex features like the ability to select a region of a spectra, deconvolute the peaks, and then evaluate if a deconvoluted component is at a certain concentration. These computing advances made analyses far easier compared to just a few years earlier.
It was May 2012 when the company introduced the Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS50 FTIR spectrometer, the first research-grade FTIR with one-touch operation. More innovation followed, leading to a present-day range of products that are simpler to operate – a requirement for modern labs that are often staffed by users with varying levels of experience.
Vibrational spectrometers
Current Nicolet vibrational spectrometer models include the Summit line (Nicolet Summit LITE, Summit X, Summit PRO, and Summit Oil Analyzer (OA)), the Nicolet iS20, and the Nicolet iS50 FTIR Spectrometer that can be upgraded from a simple FTIR benchtop analyzer to a fully automated multi-spectral range system that can acquire spectra from far-infrared to visible.
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Nicolet Summit FTIR Spectrometer
In the Raman category, current models include the DXR3 Raman Microscope (a research-grade microscope for demanding analytical tasks), the DXR3xi Raman Imaging Microscope (a high-spatial resolution Raman imaging system to provide chemical images and more), the DXR3 SmartRaman Spectrometer (designed for dedicated bulk Raman sample analysis for busy multi-purpose analytical labs), and the DXR3 Flex Raman Spectrometer (featuring the flexibility to be integrated with other analytical techniques).
You can learn about all of Thermo Scientific’s vibrational spectroscopy offerings at thermofisher.com/vibrational.
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Nicolet RaptIR FTIR Microscope
Today, the development of Thermo Scientific OMNIC Paradigm Software has opened possibilities for a variety of users. OMNIC Paradigm Software provides a multitude of spectral processing features, including multi-component searching, Q-check, and contamination analysis. It sports an intuitive drag-and-drop workflow creator that can be operated from a touchscreen dashboard on a benchtop instrument. What’s more, the Thermo Scientific OMNIC Anywhere Application allows researchers to upload data to the cloud and thus enable remote work and collaboration with colleagues around the globe.
With over 50 years of experience in spectroscopy innovation, Thermo Fisher Scientific provides instruments and support that help lab technicians, researchers, and students break barriers that once felt impossible. The spirit of Jean Nicolet must be proud.
Matthew Dawson is a Director of Market Development at Thermo Fisher Scientific
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