A Timeline of Atomic Spectroscopy: Volker Thomsen
A Timeline of Atomic Spectroscopy: Volker Thomsen
c o m
A Timeline of Atomic
Spectroscopy
This timeline provides a short history of the experimental and theoretical development
of atomic spectroscopy for elemental spectrochemical analysis. Included are the instru-
mental techniques of optical emission (flame, arc/spark, inductively coupled plasma,
glow-discharge, and laser-ablation), atomic absorption, and X-ray fluorescence spec-
troscopy. An attempt has been made to bring together the history of these apparently
disparate spectrometric techniques: It’s all about electron transitions, whether outer-
shell (atomic absorption and optical emission) or inner-shell (X-ray fluorescence).
Volker Thomsen
W
hile perhaps the most extensive such timeline to 1786: American astronomer and instrument maker David
date, it is surely not complete. Sources for further Rittenhouse (1732–1796) produces the first primitive diffrac-
information have been provided. tion grating with parallel hairs laid across two screws.
1666: Isaac Newton (1642–1727) (Figure 1) shows that the 1802: English scientist William Hyde Wollaston
white light from the sun could be dispersed into a continu- (1766–1828) is the first to observe dark lines in the spectrum
ous series of colors. He coined the word “spectrum.” His appa- of the sun.
ratus, an aperture to define a light beam, a lens, a prism, and
a screen, was the first spectroscope. He suggested that light 1814: The German optician Joseph von Frauenhofer
was composed of minute corpuscles (particles) moving at (1787–1826) invents the transmission diffraction grating and
high speed. makes a detailed study of the dark lines in the solar spectrum.
1678: Dutch mathematician and physicist Christian Huy- 1826: Scotsman William Henry Fox Talbot (1800–1877)
gens (1629–1695) proposes the wave theory of light. observes that different salts produce colors when placed in a
flame.
1729: French mathematician and scientist Pierre Bougeur
(1698–1758) notes that the amount of light passing through 1851: M.A. Masson produces the first spark-emission spec-
a liquid sample decreases with increasing sample thickness. troscope.
1752: Thomas Melville (1726–1753) of the University of 1852: German scientist August Beer (1825–1863) publishes
Glasgow, Scotland, observes a bright yellow light emitted from a paper showing that the amount of light absorbed was pro-
a flame produced by burning a mixture of alcohol and sea portional to the amount of solute in aqueous solutions.
salt. When the salt is removed, the yellow color disappears.
1859: The German physicist Gustav Robert Kirchoff
1760: German mathematician and scientist Johann Hein- (1824–1887) and chemist Robert Wilhelm Eberhard von
rich Lambert (1728–1777) publishes his “Law of Absorption.” Bunsen (1811–1899) (Figure 3) discover that spectral lines
are unique to each element.
1776: Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745–1827)
(Figure 2) uses his “perpetual electrophorus” device for pro- 1860–1861: Kirchoff and Bunsen discover the elements
ducing static electric charges to spark various materials. He cesium and rubidium using their new technique of spectral
notes different colors with different materials. Eventually he is analysis.
able to identify certain gases by the colors emitted when sparked.
1861: The element thallium is discovered by Sir William
w w w. s p e c t r o s c o p y o n l i n e . c o m October 2006 21(10) Spectroscopy 33
Figure 1: Sir Isaac Newton. Figure 2: Alessandro Volta. Figure 3: Gustav Kirchoff (left) and Robert
Bunsen.
Crookes (1832–1919) (Figure 4) using the (complex) spatial structure of the (an early example of “internal standard-
the method of spectral analysis. atomic emission within the high-volt- ization”).
age spark-induced plasma is a function
1863: The element indium is discov- of the concentration of the emitting ele- 1877: L.P. Gouy introduces the pneu-
ered by German professor of physics Fer- ment. Furthermore, he shows that matic nebulizer for transferring liquid
dinand Reich (1799–1882) and German improved quantitation is possible by samples into a flame.
metallurgical chemist Theodor Richter comparing the analyte emission with
(1824–1898), also by the method of that of another element in the sample 1882: American physicist Henry A.
spectral analysis.
Figure 4: Sir William Crookes. Figure 5: Anders Ångström. Figure 6: Sir Joseph Lockyer.
Rowland (1848–1901) (Figure 7)pro- fessor, shows that the wavelengths of the physics for his discovery (1901).
duces greatly improved (curved) diffrac- visible spectral lines of hydrogen could
tion grating using his new grating “rul- be represented by a simple mathemati- 1896: Pieter Zeeman (1865–1943),
ing machine” at Johns Hopkins cal formula. These lines are now known Dutch physicist, observes splitting of
University (Baltimore, Maryland). Grat- as the Balmer series of hydrogen. spectral lines by a magnetic field. He
ings produced in his laboratory became receives the 1902 Nobel Prize in physics
the standard throughout the world. 1888: Swedish physicist Johannes for his work.
Rydberg (1854–1919) generalizes
1882: W.N. Hartley of Dublin con- Balmer’s formula to: 1/ = RH [(1/n2) 1896: The French physicist Antoine
ducts a systematic study of change in (1/m2)], where n and m are integers and Henri Becquerel (1852–1908) discovers
spectral line intensity with concentra- m > n. (For the Balmer series, n = 2 and radioactivity. He shares the 1903 Nobel
tion. Later, he produces the first semi- m = 3.) The constant, RH, is now called Prize in physics with Pierre and Marie
quantitative spectrographic analysis Rydberg’s constant. Curie for their work on radioactivity.
(determination of beryllium in cerium
compounds). 1895: German physicist Wilhelm 1897: The electron is discovered by
Conrad Röntgen (1845–1923) (Figure British physicist Joseph Thomson
1885: Johann J. Balmer (1825–1898) 9) discovers X-rays and experiments (1856–1940). He is awarded the 1906
(Figure 8), a Swiss high school teacher extensively to discern their properties. Nobel Prize in physics for this discovery
and adjunct university mathematics pro- He is awarded the first Nobel Prize in and his investigations on the conduc-
Circle x
w w w. s p e c t r o s c o p y o n l i n e . c o m October 2006 21(10) Spectroscopy 35
tion of electricity in gases. 1900: Frank Twyman (Adam Hilger by A. Schuster and G. Hemsalech. Their
Ltd., London, UK) produces the first technique involves moving the photo-
1900: German physicist Max Planck commercially available quartz prism graphic film in the focal plane of the
(1858–1947) introduces the quantum spectrograph. spectrograph.
concept. He is awarded the 1918 Nobel
Prize in physics. 1900: First work on time-resolved 1906: American physicist Theodore
optical emission spectroscopy is reported Lyman (1874–1954) discovers ultravio-
Circle x
36 Spectroscopy 21(10) October 2006 w w w. s p e c t r o s c o p y o n l i n e . c o m
Figure 10: Charles Barkla. Figure 11: Hans Geiger. Figure 12: Niels Bohr.
let series of hydrogen lines. They fit the materials, an electron is ejected. This these X-rays is related to the atomic
Rydberg formula with n = 1 and m = 2. same year, he publishes his “Special The- weight of the element. He is awarded the
ory of Relativity.” Nobel Prize in 1917.
1905: Albert Einstein (1879–1955)
explains the photoelectric effect, for 1906: British physicist Charles Barkla 1908: Swiss theoretical physicist Wal-
which he was awarded the Nobel Prize (1877–1944) (Figure 10) discovers that ter Ritz (1878–1909) proposes his Com-
in 1921. His theory explains that when each element has a characteristic X-ray bination Principle (also known as the
a photon strikes the surface of some and that the degree of penetration of Frequency Sum Rule), which notes that
the spectral lines of any element include
frequencies that are either the sum or
difference of two other spectral lines.
Figure 13: Henry Moseley. 1915: W. Duane and F.L. Hunt dis- Figure 14: George von Hevesy.
cover the short-wavelength limit in X-
X-ray diffraction (Bragg’s law). They are ray generation. Sommerfeld (1868–1951) and Walter
awarded the 1915 Nobel Prize in physics. Kossel note that the spectral lines of any
1916: German physicist Walter Kos- atom are qualitatively similar in char-
1913: British physicist Henry Mose- sel (1888–1956) is the first to realize that acter (wavelength) to those of the ion
ley (1887–1915) (Figure 13) establishes X-ray spectra are due to the removal of of an element one atomic number
that atomic number is more fundamen- inner shell electrons from the atom. higher (“Verschiebungsgesetz”).
tal than atomic weight by observations
of the X-ray spectra of the elements. 1919: German physicists Arnold 1920: Adam Hilger Ltd. produces the
Circle x Circle x
38 Spectroscopy 21(10) October 2006 w w w. s p e c t r o s c o p y o n l i n e . c o m
Figure 15: Louis de Broglie. 1923: Hungarian-born chemist Figure 16: Lise Meitner.
George von Hevesy (1885–1966) (Fig-
ure 14) and coworker Dutch physicist
first evacuated spectrograph for the Dirk Coster (1889–1950) discover 1924: W. Soller constructs an X-ray
determination of sulfur (180.7 nm) and hafnium, the first element identified by spectrometer using parallel foil colli-
phosphorus (178.2 nm) in steel. its X-ray spectrum. mators.
1921: C. Ramsauer and F. Wolf inves- 1923: George von Hevesy proposes 1925: German physicist Friedrich
tigate the time-resolved spectroscopy of quantitative analysis by secondary exci- Hund (1896–1997) presents empirical
the alkali and alkaline earth metals using tation of X-ray spectra. (Von Hevesy rules for atomic spectroscopy (Hund’s
a slotted rotating disk in the light path received the 1943 Nobel Prize in chem- rules).
to the spectroscope. istry for his work on using radioisotopes
as tracers to study chemical processes.) 1925: German physicist Werner
1922: American physicist Frederick Heisenberg (1901–1976) (Figure 17)
Sumner Brackett (1896–1972) discov- 1923: French physicist Louis de Broglie establishes matrix mechanics. He
ers the infrared series of hydrogen lines (1892–1987) (Figure 15) proposes wave- receives the Nobel Prize in 1932.
that now bear his name. like nature of electron. He received the
1922: American spectroscopist Nobel Prize in physics in 1929. 1925: French physicist Pierre Victor
1923: Austrian physicist Lise Meitner
(1878–1968) (Figure 16) discovers the
radiationless transition now known as
the Auger effect (see 1925).
is applied to EDXRF by Yoneda and col- 1976: J.P. Walters and colleagues at ized in Russia by M.A. Kumakhov and
leagues. the University of Wisconsin produce a F.F. Komarov.
controllable waveform high-voltage
1972: First commercially available spark excitation source. 1990: Introduction of nitrogen-
portable arc/spark optical emission flushed UV optical system to eliminate
spectroscopy (OES) spectrometer is 1977: Jaklevic first applies microbeam vacuum pump oil vapor back-diffusion
introduced (Hilger, Ltd.). It uses fiber technique to EDXRF (analysis of human problems (Spectro A.I.).
optics to provide light transfer from hair).
“probe” to optic. 1992: First commercially available
1981: Swedish physicist Kai M. Sieg- spectrometer with charge injection
1973: Maturity of EDXRF as an ana- bahn (b. 1918) receives the Nobel Prize device (CID) solid-state detector (the
lytical technique demonstrated by R.D. in physics for high-resolution electron IRIS from Thermo Jarrell Ash).
Giaugue and colleagues at U.C., Berke- spectroscopy.
ley with the determination of elements 1993: First commercially available
at trace levels. 1984: Introduction of the silicon drift one-piece, handheld XRF analyzer
detector for position sensing applications. (NITON).
1974: First commercially available ICP
spectrometers introduced. 1988: First commercially available 1993: Nitrogen-filled UV optical sys-
optical emission spectrometer with elec- tem with recirculating system is patented
1975: J. Robin and C. Trassy first use tronic time-resolved spectroscopy capa- (Spectro A.I.)
end-on observation in ICP. bility (Spectro A.I.).
1997: Digitally controlled waveform
1976: The concept of capillary optics 1988: M. Chevrier and Richard source for arc/spark spectrometry (ARL
for focusing X-rays originated at the U.S. Passetemps invent the radio-frequency and Spectro A.I.).
Naval Research Laboratory (D. Mosher glow-discharge source.
and S. Stephanakis). 2000: Miniature, low-power X-ray
1990: Practical capillary optics real- tube developed.
Circle x
42 Spectroscopy 21(10) October 2006 w w w. s p e c t r o s c o p y o n l i n e . c o m
Circle x Circle x