This study demonstrates that a microreactor setup with fast in-line reaction monitoring by Raman spectroscopy can be a highly efficient laboratory tool for kinetic studies and process development. Using a coaxial probe and commercial spectrometer to perform real-time measurements in the microchannel prevents the need for reaction quenching, sampling, and time-consuming off-line analysis methods such as GC or HPLC. A specially designed, temperature-controlled aluminum plate microreactor was developed and tested in the exothermic synthesis of 3-piperidino propionic acid ethyl ester by Michael addition. In-line measurements through a fused quartz screen in the reactor channel, which had an increasing cross-sectional area, allowed time-series kinetic data to be collected over nearly the full range of reaction conversions. An optimum flow rate range in which nearly ideal plug flow behavior can be assumed was identified. Furthermore, a time gradient was applied to the reactant flow rates, and the product concentration was simultaneously and repeatedly measured at various locations in the reactor channel. With this approach, the experiment duration and material consumption are significantly reduced relative to those of conventional steadystate experiments. Two hundred data points with residence times ranging from 0.3 to 49 s were collected in less than 1 h. Thus, this method can be used for the high-throughput screening of reaction parameters in a microreactor.

The monitoring of microbiological processes using Raman spectroscopy has gained in importance over the past few years. Commercial Raman spectroscopic equipment consists of a laser, spectrometer, and fiberoptic immersion probe in direct contact with the fermentation medium. To avoid possible sterilization problems and biofilm formation on the probe tip, a large-aperture Raman probe was developed. The design of the probe enables non-contact in-line measurements through glass vessels or inspection glasses of bioreactors and chemical reactors. The practical applicability of the probe was tested during yeast fermentations by monitoring the consumption of substrate glucose and the formation of ethanol as the product. Multiple linear regression models were applied to evaluate the Raman spectra. Reference values were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The relative errors of prediction for glucose and ethanol were 5 and 3%, respectively. The presented Raman probe allows simple adaption to a wide range of processes in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnological industries.

In process analytics, the applicability of Raman spectroscopy is restricted by high excitation intensities or the long integration times required. In this work, a novel Raman system was developed to minimize photon flux losses. It allows specific reduction of spectral resolution to enable the use of Raman spectroscopy for real-time analytics when strongly increased sensitivity is required. The performance potential of the optical setup was demonstrated in two exemplary applications: First, a fast exothermic reaction (Michael addition) was monitored with backscattering fiber optics under strongly attenuated laser power (7 mW). Second, high-speed scanning of a segmented multiphase flow (water/toluene) with submicroliter droplets was achieved by aligning the focus of a coaxial Raman probe with long focal length directly into a perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) capillary. With an acquisition rate of 333 Raman spectra per second, chemical information was obtained separately for both of the rapidly alternating phases. The experiment with reduced laser power demonstrates that the technique described in this paper is applicable in chemical production processes, especially in hazardous environments. Further potential uses can be envisioned in medical or biological applications with limited power input. The realization of high-speed measurements shows new possibilities for analysis of heterogeneous phase systems and of fast reactions or processes.

Raman and mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy are useful tools for the specific detection of molecules, since both methods are based on the excitation of fundamental vibration modes. In this study, Raman and MIR spectroscopy were applied simultaneously during aerobic yeast fermentations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Based on the recorded Raman intensities and MIR absorption spectra, respectively, temporal concentration courses of glucose, ethanol, and biomass were determined. The chemometric methods used to evaluate the analyte concentrations were partial least squares (PLS) regression and multiple linear regression (MLR). In view of potential photometric sensors, MLR models based on two (2D) and four (4D) analyte-specific optical channels were developed. All chemometric models were tested to predict glucose concentrations between 0 and 30 g L−1, ethanol concentrations between 0 and 10 g L−1, and biomass concentrations up to 15 g L−1 in real time during diauxic growth. Root-mean-squared errors of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.68 g L−1, 0.48 g L−1, and 0.37 g L−1 for glucose, ethanol, and biomass were achieved using the MIR setup combined with a PLS model. In the case of Raman spectroscopy, the corresponding RMSEP values were 0.92 g L−1, 0.39 g L−1, and 0.29 g L−1. Nevertheless, the simple 4D MLR models could reach the performance of the more complex PLS evaluation. Consequently, the replacement of spectrometer setups by four-channel sensors were discussed. Moreover, the advantages and disadvantages of Raman and MIR setups are demonstrated with regard to process implementation.

In this report, a quantitative nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrate (NADH) fluorescence measurement algorithm in a liquid tissue phantom using a fiber-optic needle probe is presented. To determine the absolute concentrations of NADH in this phantom, the fluorescence emission spectra at 465 nm were corrected using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy between 600 nm and 940 nm. The patented autoclavable Nitinol needle probe enables the acquisition of multispectral backscattering measurements of ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared and fluorescence spectra. As a phantom, a suspension of calcium carbonate (Calcilit) and water with physiological NADH concentrations between 0 mmol l−1 and 2.0 mmol l−1 were used to mimic human tissue. The light scattering characteristics were adjusted to match the backscattering attributes of human skin by modifying the concentration of Calcilit. To correct the scattering effects caused by the matrices of the samples, an algorithm based on the backscattered remission spectrum was employed to compensate the influence of multiscattering on the optical pathway through the dispersed phase. The monitored backscattered visible light was used to correct the fluorescence spectra and thereby to determine the true NADH concentrations at unknown Calcilit concentrations. Despite the simplicity of the presented algorithm, the root-mean-square error of prediction (RMSEP) was 0.093 mmol l−1.