Raman spectroscopy is an excellent tool enabling us to study molecular vibrations. Vibrational levels of a particular molecule depend on its structure, more precisely on its constituent atoms, chemical bonds between them, and the symmetry of the molecule. Therefore, by accessing molecular vibrations in our sample, we can get information about the chemical structure of the molecules, their conformations and even interactions they are involved in. Raman spectroscopy is based on Raman scattering effect, which is a change in light frequency after it is scattered by polyatomic molecules. In Raman spectroscopy, this change in energy between incident and scattered light is measured and is called Raman shift. It gives us direct access to the vibrational energy levels of the molecule.
In this lecture, you can learn what are the molecular vibrations and the Raman effect in detail, and how it is related to Raman spectroscopy. Some of the most common Raman spectroscopy techniques: resonance Raman spectroscopy, stimulated Raman scattering spectroscopy, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering, are briefly discussed as well.
