Design and implementation of a rapid-mixer flow cell for time-resolved infrared microspectroscopy

A rapid mixer for the analysis of reactions in the millisecond and submilli second time domains by Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy has bee n constructed. The cell was tested by examination of cytochrome-c folding k inetics. The device allows collection of full infrared spectral data on mil lisecond and faster time scales subsequent to chemical jump reaction initia tion. The data quality is sufficiently good such that spectral fitting tech niques could be applied to analysis of the data. Thus, this method provides an advantage over kinetic measurements at single wavelengths using infrare d laser or diode sources, particularly where band overlap exists. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0034-6748(00)04911-X].