A Novel Classification of Polymorphs Using Combined LIBS and Raman Spectroscopy

Combined LIBS-Raman spectroscopy has been widely studied, due to its complementary capabilities as an elemental analyzer that can acquire signals of atoms, ions, and molecules. In this study, the classification of polymorphs was performed by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to overcome the limitation in molecular analysis; the results were verified by Raman spectroscopy. LIBS signals of the CaCO3 polymorphs calcite and aragonite, and CaSO4·2H2O (gypsum) and CaSO4 (anhydrite), were acquired using a Nd:YAG laser (532 nm, 6 ns). While the molecular study was performed using Raman spectroscopy, LIBS could also provide sufficient key data for classifying samples containing different molecular densities and structures, using the peculiar signal ratio of 5s→4p for the orbital transition of two polymorphs that contain Ca. The basic principle was analyzed by electronic motion in plasma and electronic transition in atoms or ions. The key factors for the classification of polymorphs were the different electron quantities in the unit-cell volume of each sample, and the selection rule in electric-dipole transitions. The present work has extended the capabilities of LIBS in molecular analysis, as well as in atomic and ionic analysis.