UV/VIS Spectrophotometry - Fast, Accurate, Compact and Reliable

UV/VIS spectrophotometry is used in many industries for both quality control and research purposes. The new UV/VIS Excellence spectrophotometers from Mettler Toledo are designed to suit these needs, providing accurate results fast within a very compact footprint. Some of our customers tested the instruments against their standard UV/VIS workflow. This is what they had to say:

Mayoly Spindler, France – UV7: Pharmaceutical company Mayoly Spindler SAS, based in Chatou, France are responsible for developing and marketing pharmaceutical products including soft capsules, syrups, topical dermal creams and suppositories, with a vision to become an international reference in gastroenterology and dermo-cosmetics.

As a pharmaceutical company, regulatory compliance is of utmost importance. Rigorous quality control tests, including UV/VIS spectroscopy, are performed on active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and, naturally, their instruments too must meet the demands of the industry and the regulatory requirements.

The Mettler Toledo UV7 Excellence with LabX software was used to test the amount of the API Guaiacol in their Bronchorectine suppositories. Absorbance was measured at a specific wavelength and compared to a calibration curve.

Mayoly Spindler liked the small footprint of the instrument, compared to their current instrument, and were impressed by the short measuring time made possible by the array technology. In fact, the light absorption of a sample is typically measured within 3–5 seconds. They thought the user interface was simple and intuitive and the ability to zoom into a specific region of the spectrum proved very useful. With different users in the lab, the user management function was important allowing appropriate rights to ‘Administrator’ and ‘User’ operators.

They were particularly impressed by LabX, including the re-evaluation option where absorbance can be read at different wavelengths, which is useful for correcting data-entry errors. They also liked the digital report storage and access capabilities and the function to weigh a sample at the balance and automatically transfer the data into the method.

Clarins, France – UV7: The well-known French cosmetics manufacturer Clarins needs almost no introduction with their skin creams, sun screens and make up sold worldwide.

The quality control lab in Paris works to GMP and BPF ISO 22716 regulations, to which all cosmetic producers must comply. Their sun creams must also comply with FDA regulations.

Clarins use UV/VIS spectrophotometry in both the quality control of raw ingredients and in research and development. Their most important applications are spectral identification in comparison to a reference database, and determining concentration and purity by absorbance.

Clarins felt there were many advantages to the UV7 instrument that they tested. These included the small size, fast measurement time and particularly the easy connection of the automatic cuvette changer to a water bath, as their current instrument requires moving into a precarious position to attach the necessary tubes.

When connected to LabX they liked that parameters could be changed after the measurement to recalculate results, as well the automatic data transfer between the balance and the method.

They were also very interested in the fact that LabX could replace all their paper reports with electronic versions stored as pdfs or within the software to print on demand.

Mapei, Italy – UV7: A major producer of adhesives and chemical products used in the construction industry, the Mapei group comprises 69 subsidiaries with 65 production facilities in 31 countries worldwide. The Central Analytical Department in Milan is the heart of new product design and technological development, receiving more than 10,000 samples for analysis per year from their R&D labs and plants.

Mapei typically use UV/VIS spectroscopy for the quantitative determination of a variety of substances in their samples. Content is determined at a specific wavelength by comparing the absorption of the sample with standard solutions of a known concentration. Firstly, however, a calibration curve must be determined.

Using the UV7 spectrophotometer, the reference curve is easily performed. Dr Biancardi, Junior Scientist, explained: “An accurate and precise calibration curve is a key factor in obtaining reliable results. Thanks to the large display and the clear on-screen instructions, the user is easily guided through the steps to determine the curve.”

With several operators, usability of the instrument is vital. Dr Tuccillo, Junior Scientist, stated that “The clear text and simplicity of the instrument mean that an accurate calibration curve can be produced by every user.” Samples are measured in the same quick and efficient manner with the user guided through each step of the procedure.

Thanks to the array technology and the guided user interface, a calibration curve is quickly determined whilst handling errors are reduced. Accurate and precise results are achieved with the minimum of effort.

Eawag, Switzerland – UV5Nano: Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, is a worldwide leading institute for research, education and expert consulting. Its research focuses on water for human welfare, ecosystem function and strategies for human versus ecosystem water-use conflicts. Eawag is part of the ETH Domain.

Mr Thomas Fleischmann runs an environmental microbiology lab which carries out a number of bio-applications using UV/VIS spectroscopy. Using the Mettler Toledo UV5Nano (Figure 1), Mr Fleischmann performed protein concentration determination using the pre-defined bio-application BSA and the Bradford technique, and finally performed a scan of an unknown substance with a pH-sensitive spectrum.

Mr Fleischmann very much liked the UV5Nano as it was easy to use and he found the software intuitive. He also liked the compact size of the instrument taking up little space on the workbench. Again, the zoom function was considered a useful addition. He also thought that, in comparison to other instruments, the cuvette holder was very well designed as the cuvette could be inserted easily and correctly without any pressure. He explained that, on other instruments, the cuvette can sometimes be twisted, resulting in misleading results if the cuvette is not in perfect perpendicular alignment to the light beam.