NIR spectroscopy: a rapid-response analytical tool

In recent years, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has gained wide acceptance in different fields by virtue of its advantages over other analytical techniques, the most salient of which is its ability to record spectra for solid and liquid samples with no prior manipulation. Also, developments in instrumentation have resulted in the manufacture of spectrophotometers capable of quickly providing spectra that are flexible enough for use in different situations; thus, portable equipment can record spectra on site or even at production lines. This article discusses the features of NIR spectroscopy that have driven forward its dramatic development in a wide range of analytical fields in the last few years. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.