An Overview of Applications of Photothermal Spectroscopy With Special Reference to Environmental Studies

Abstract

Present paper is an attempt to introduce the potential of somewhat less known technique based on the principle of photothermal (PT) spectroscopy, <i>i e</i>,<i> </i>measurement of nonradiative transition energy produced as a result of absorption of modulated light beam energy by a material. The paper presents an overview of various applications of PT based techniques. particularly those related to trace gas detection with special reference to lesser known areas like agriculture, environmental monitoring, etc. Potential of a recently developed technique called mirage effect gas phase spectroscopy for semiquantitative evaluation of

environmental impact analysis (EIA), where conventionally only qualitative explanations are dominant, has also been discussed.