Lawrence Bruce

• MChem with Hons in Chemistry
• Characterising Red Cabbage Anthocyanin Droplets Using Raman, Infrared and UV-Vis Spectroscopy

The aim of the project was to investigate the feasibility of using naturally occurring dyes to help characterise microscopic aerosol droplets with its primary use being a pH sensor. Red cabbage was used as an anthocyanin dye source; bulk solutions were made to vary from pH 2-11 using stock NaOH and HCl. Bulk solutions were characterised using UV-visible, IR and Raman spectroscopy and spectral peak changes with pH was investigated. The degradation of red cabbage anthocyanins was also monitored to observe its effect on the validity of characterisation. Unmodified red cabbage solution was aerosolised and stabilised in optical tweezers and characterised in terms of size and refractive index through observation of the whispering gallery modes.

Funding source: Royal Society of Chemistry

Project Supervisor: Dr Toni Carruthers