Advanced Multiwavelength Detection in Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Abstract

This work highlights significant advancements in detector hardware and software for multiwavelength analytical ultracentrifugation (MWL-AUC) experiments, demonstrating improvement in both the spectral performance and UV capabilities of the instrument. The hardware is an extension of the Open AUC MWL detector developed in academia and first introduced in 2006 by Bhattacharya et al. Additional modifications as well as new analytical methods available for MWL data have since been reported. The present work describes new and continuing improvements to the MWL detector, including mirror source and imaging optics, UV sensitive acquisition modes and revised data acquisition software. The marked improvement of experimental data promises to provide access to increasingly complex systems, especially semiconductor nanoparticles, synthetic polymers, biopolymers, and other chromophores absorbing in the UV. Details of the detection system and components are examined to reveal the influences on data quality and to guide further developments. The benchmark comparisons of data quality across platforms will also serve as a reference guide for evaluation of forthcoming commercial absorbance optics.