Recent developments in multi-component synchronous fluorescence scan analysis

The ability to analyse complex multi-component mixtures without resorting to tedious separation procedures is extremely useful for routine analysis. Single-wavelength fluorescence measurement is limited in its ability to analyse complicated multi-component samples when they have severely overlapping emission and/or excitation spectra. This can be overcome by using synchronous fluorescence scan (SFS), where overlapping of spectra can be minimized. The selectivity of SFS can still be increased by taking derivative spectrum, applying different multivariate methods, selective fluorescence quenching, three-dimensional synchronous measurement or using some of these procedures in combination. Recent developments in various synchronous fluorescence methods for analysis of multi-component systems are discussed in this review. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.