Vibrational spectroscopy and chemical imaging
Research Activities
The interdisciplinary nature of our work links chemistry, chemical engineering, materials, pharmaceuticals and biomedical sciences with the overall aim of solving problems of significant industrial and scientific interest. This is achieved by discovering and understanding molecular interactions and using them to help engineer new products and processes. We develop and apply advanced vibrational spectroscopic and chemical imaging methods, including FTIR spectroscopic imaging (in micro/macro ATR and transmission modes), in situ FTIR spectroscopy, NIR imaging, confocal Raman microscopy and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to realise these goals. Multidisciplinary collaborations with colleagues from universities, industry and government institutions play a key role in our research activities.
Research Group
Latest News
2019
JANUARY
Our group has been selected to present our research at the 2019 Great Exhibition Road Festival across the 29th and 30th of June, showcasing our work to other academics, students and members of the public.
2018
DECEMBER
We welcome Dr. Christian Bortolini to our group for a project “On-column monitoring of protein purification by ATR-FTIR and Raman Spectroscopy” funded by BBSRC.
OCTOBER
We welcome Mr. James Beattie to our group for a PhD project “Monitoring of protein purification by spectroscopic techniques” which will be a collaborative project with GSK and the Department of Life Sciences.
AUGUST
Prof. Kazarian has presented a Keynote lecture on advances in TERS microscopy at the 26th International Conference on Raman Spectroscopy in Jeju, Korea. Prof. Kazarian has started in the role of Editor-in-Chief of Applied Spectroscopy and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy has welcomed him in a recent article.
JUNE
Congratulations to Alessandra Vichi who has successfully defended her PhD Thesis entitled “Degradation of polymers in objects of museum collections at the micro-scale: a novel study with ATR-FTIR spectroscopic imaging”
We welcome Mr. Huiqiang Lu to our group for a PhD project “Interactions of high pressure CO2 with polymers”
Ms. Cai Li Song won the Best Poster Award at the 10th International Society of Clinical Spectroscopy meeting (SPEC2018)
APRIL
An interview with Prof. Kazarian by Spectroscopy Editors about our recent research (9 April 2018)
MARCH
Prof. Sergei Kazarian was recently selected as Editor-in-Chief of Applied Spectroscopy. His term will begin in the summer of 2018. Prof Kazarian has been Editor of the journal since 2017 and he has been an Associate Editor since 2012.
Prof. S. Kazarian met with Prof. Yuri Oganessian (on the right) at the Royal Society. Prof. Y. Oganessian is considred one of the world's leading scientists in super-heavy chemical elements. He is the only person living to have an element named after him, element 118 Oganesson.
FEBRUARY
Congratulations to Dr. Tay Feng Huai, a former PhD student and postdoc in our group, for winning the Entrepreneurial Award 2017-2018 in the prestigious Study UK Alumni Awards. Feng did his final-year research project in our laboratory in 2005-2006, for which he was awarded the Henry Sawistowski Travel Fellowship for the best final year research project. His PhD project (2006-2010) was supported by EPSRC and by the Deputy Rector’s Award. Feng was awarded the prestigious Dudley Newitt Prize for Experimental Excellence for his “PhD thesis of exceptional merit demonstrated by experimental excellence and presentation” in 2010. Feng has maintained contacts with our group while in Malaysia, and has attended alumni events, such as the Imperial Festival Alumni Reunion.
JANUARY
Andrew Ewing and Sergei Kazarian have published an invited article titled “Recent advances in the applications of vibrational spectroscopic imaging and mapping to pharmaceutical formulations” in Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy (2018) (doi), where a perspective of the current state-of-the-art of terahertz, NIR, FTIR spectroscopic imaging and Raman mapping for studying pharmaceutical samples are presented.
2017
18 DECEMBER
Congratulations to Ben Turner who has successfully defended his PhD Thesis entitled “Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Imaging of Live Cells”
9 DECEMBER
Our recent invited Prospective article “Current trends and opportunities for the applications of in situ vibrational spectroscopy to investigate the supercritical fluid processing of polymers” is published in the Journal of Supercritical Fluids (2018) 134, 89-96 (doi) https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Wlm~3BwperLat
1 OCTOBER
We welcome Hannah Tiernan to our group to do a PhD project “Studying Conformational Changes and Agglomeration in Biopharmaceuticals Using Spectroscopic Imaging in Microfluidics”, which will be a collaborative project with Bristol-Myers Squib and the Department of Life Sciences.
We welcome Cai Li Song (MEng graduate from our Department) to our group to do a PhD project “Advancing biomedical research with infrared spectroscopic imaging” in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine.
27 SEPTEMBER
Prof. Kazarian presented an invited lecture “Spectroscopic imaging: emerging applications to the objects of cultural heritage” at the international conference on “Novel technologies for conservation and restoration of ancient manuscripts” in Yerevan Armenia at Matenadaran (research institute and museum, as well as one of the largest repository of ancient manuscripts in the world).
22 SEPTEMBER
James Kimber and Sergei Kazarian have published an invited Trends article in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry (doi) on biomedical applications of spectroscopic imaging, which is Open Access and featured on the cover of October issue.
20 SEPTEMBER
Prof. Kazarian, jointly with collaborators from Kazan Federal University (Russia) and Harvard University (USA) has published article on Nonlinear Raman Effects Enhanced by Surface Plasmon Excitation in Planar Refractory Nanoantennas in NANO LETTERS (doi) which has been featured in the Department web-site.
AUGUST
Prof. Kazarian gave an interview to TASS (Russian News Agency) http://tass.ru/obschestvo/4511742 about education in the UK and about UK - Russian scientific collaboration.
12th MAY
James Kimber and Sergei Kazarian, jointly with collaborators in Japan, Armenia and France, have published an article in Chemical Engineering Journal (doi) on combined application of thermal imaging and IR spectroscopic imaging to polymerisation in microfluidics, which is Open Access until 1 July 2017 (https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1V1fw4x7R2KZea)
26 APRIL
Prof. Kazarian has presented a keynote lecture at the 16th European Meeting on Supercritical Fluids in Lisbon, Portugal.
7th MARCH
Congratulations to Prof. Sergei Kazarian, who has been selected by the Society for Applied Spectroscopy to be the new Editor of Applied Spectroscopy, starting in this new role from 1 April 2017 (Prof Kazarian has been an Associate Editor of the journal since July 2012).
16th JANUARY
Congratulations to Alessandra Vichi on publication of a collaborative article on assessment of cross-sections of samples from a masterpiece painting of the 20th century Alchemy by J. Pollock with of micro ATR-FTIR spectroscopic imaging in Analytical Chemistry (doi) ,which has been featured in the Department web-site.
2016
23rd DECEMBER
Our article in PCCP, which assesses the molecular state of water in a range of ionic liquids using in situ FTIR spectroscopy, has now been cited over 1000 times. The molecular state of water is fundamental for the properties of ionic liquids as evidenced by numerous citations of this work.
21st DECEMBER
Our collaborative studies of nanomaterials, which was recently published in Nanoscale, have been featured at the Department web-page.
25th NOVEMBER
Congratulations to Andrew Ewing and Sergei Kazarian on acceptance of an invited review article "Infrared spectroscopy and spectroscopic imaging in forensic science" for publication in Analyst (doi)
3rd NOVEMBER
We are presenting our research on chemical imaging of fingreprints at the Imperial Fringe: Criminal Investigations event on the 3rd November from 1700 to 2000 at the college main entrance. This event is open to all and more details can be found here.
8th July
We are presenting our work at the CPACT (Centre for Process Analytics and Control Technology) Webinar on imaging.
22nd JUNE
Our group presented its research at the launch of the Institute of Molecular Science and Engineering (IMSE) link.
24th FEBRUARY
Our group has been selected to present our research at Imperial Festival 2016 in the Research Zone, showcasing our work to other academics and members of the public. The festival runs on the 7th and 8th of May.
22nd February
Congratulations to Andrew Ewing for passing his viva for his PhD titled "ATR-FTIR Spectroscopic Imaging to Study Drug Release and Tablet Dissolution".
4th FEBRUARY
Sergei Kazarian has presented an invited lecture and Andrew Ewing has presented a poster at the JPAG meeting “Solving problems with spectral imaging” organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences in London.
31st January
An invited opinion article “Seeing the Full Picture” about the potential of FTIR spectroscopic imaging for process analysis has been published in the Analytical Scientist (section In My View ).
28th January
Congratulations to Mr. Mohith Unny for being awarded the Geoff Hewitt Prize for his outstanding performance in last year’s MSc course. Mohith worked in our group on his thesis entitled “ATR-FTIR spectroscopic imaging for crude oil studies”.
12th JANUARY
Professor Kazarian will present a keynote lecture at the APACT16 – Advances in Process Analytics and Control Technology in April 2016.
2015
1st November
A review article on ATR-FTIR spectroscopic imaging of biomedical systems has been published in Chemical Society Reviews (Impact Factor 33.3); Chan K. L. A., Kazarian S. G. Attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) imaging of tissues and live cells Chemical Society Reviews (2016) Advance article, (doi)
1st October
Congratulations to Alessandra Vichi on her first publication presenting a novel spectroscopic approach that she will be using in collaborative studies of samples from the National Gallery, London and Victoria & Albert Museum: Wrobel T. P., Vichi A., Baranska M., Kazarian S. G. Micro Attenuated Total Reflection FT-IR Spectroscopic Imaging with Variable Angles of Incidence Applied Spectroscopy (2015) 69, 1170-1174. (doi)
23rd September
Congratulations to Dr James Kimber for winning the 2015 Sir William Wakeham Award. He presented his work at the 2015 Chemical Engineering Postdoc Symposium (Postdoc symposium) and also gave an interview for the departmental newsletter (link).
30th July
Congratulations to Andrew Ewing for being awarded the 2015 CPACT Malcolm McIvor Prize for his PhD research on ATR-FTIR spectroscopic imaging of drug release in July 2015 and was presented the award at CPACT Research Day on the 6th of October 2015. Mr. Malcolm McIvor has visited our laboratory on the 14th of December.
5th May
Congratulations to Prof. Sergei Kazarian with Sir George Stokes Award 2015 from the Royal Society of Chemistry; these news have been featured at the Departmental and Imperial College web-pages.
Highlights
1ST September 2014
Kirsty Gibson and Sergei Kazarian published a chapter in Encyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry: Tip-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (TERS) Encyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry, eds R.A. Meyers, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (2014) (doi)
Sergei Kazarian also co-authored a chapter in Encyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry: Pollock H. M., Kazarian S. G. “Microspectroscopy in the Mid-Infrared” Encyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry, 1-26, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (2014) (doi).
1st Februrary 2013
Sergei Kazarian and Andrew Chan have published an invited review article entitled “ATR-FTIR spectroscopic imaging: recent advances and applications to biological systems” in Analyst (2013) (doi) and article in Analytical Chemistry 85 (2013) 1029-1036 (doi) about a new approach in transmission FTIR spectroscopic imaging.
26thJune 2012
We are pleased to announce that on the 26th June 2012 we will be holding a one day conference at Imperial College London under the auspices of the UK Society of Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) Regional Section entitled:
“FT-IR Spectroscopic Imaging: New Trends and Emerging Applications”
11th May 2012
The Research Group was one of three groups in the Chemical Engineering Department to demonstr ate their research at the inaugural Imperial Festival. The event was open to the public and showcased research from many re search groups throughout the college. A variety of lectures, activities and live demonstrations ensured the succes of this event.
4th November 2011
The Research Group was recently invited by the British Embassy in Russia to showcase our research at the 2011 All Russia Science Festival. This was a great opportunity to present our work to members of the Russian public, schoolchildren and other scientists. The event was a great success and ran from the 7th to 9th of October attracting over 350 thousand visitors across 80 locations in Moscow.
25 thJune 2010
The Research Group was recently invited to showcase our research at the 2010 Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, where cutting edge research is presented to members of the public.
The exhibition was held at the Southbank centre as part of the Royal Society's 350th anniversary celebrations. 
Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2010
Chemical Imaging News Report at the Royal Society Summer Exhibition
2008
Professor Sergei Kazarian was awarded a European Research Council Advanced Grant in 2008, to fund reseach into “Enhancing microfabricated devices with chemical imaging for novel chemical technology" for 5 years.