Light source selection and optical design of a UV absorption based detector for liquid chromatography

Abstract

Traditional sources of UVC light for absorption spectroscopy are bulky, inefficient, and output tens to hundreds of watts of heat. In this paper we present the relative merits and disadvantages of using AIN based UVC emitting LEDs for absorption detection in liquid chromatography systems compared to traditional sources. We present the optical design for a detector based on a modular LED architecture and employing a digital micromirror device to modulate the light used in detection. The expected capabilities of a detector employing the design are derived and then compared to existing UV absorption detectors for liquid chromatography. The strategy presented in this paper holds significant advantages over existing detectors, including increased resolution and dynamic capabilities