Real-time imaging and spectroscopy during microwave assisted chemistry
AssigneeCEM Corporation
InventorEdward Earl King
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An instrument and associated method are disclosed for conducting microwave assisted chemical reactions. The instrument includes a microwave cavity, preferably a closed microwave cavity, for conducting microwave assisted chemical reactions, and a source for applying microwave radiation within the cavity and to a vessel and its contents. The instrument also includes an illumination source for illuminating the vessel and its contents, as well as a camera or spectrometer for visually observing the vessel and its contents, an infrared detector for monitoring the temperature of the vessel and its contents, and a filter for preventing the illumination source from saturating the infrared detector, thereby enabling concurrent visual observation and infrared monitoring.
Claims16
A method of carrying out microwave assisted chemical reactions, the method comprising:
- applying microwave radiation within a cavity and to a reaction vessel in the cavity and reactants in the reaction vessel;
- while concurrently monitoring infrared radiation emitted from the reaction vessel and reactants to determine the temperature of the vessel contents;
- while concurrently illuminating the vessel and reactants with visible wavelengths from a source of visible wavelengths;
- while visually monitoring the reactants;
- and
- while preventing any infrared wavelengths from the source from saturating the infrared radiation emitted from the vessel and the reactants.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.