A comparative study of fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy for discrimination of essential oils

Abstract We utilize fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy as rapid, sensitive and effective methods for characterizing, discriminating, and ensuring the quality of essential oils. By scanning excitation and emission wavelengths at specific intervals, the results can be graphically displayed as a contour plot against fluorescence intensity for each excitation-emission wavelength pair. This 3D contour plot, known as the Excitation Emission Matrix (EEM), is a valuable tool for distinguishing similar compounds through multi-component analysis. On the other hand, Raman spectra serve as a unique fingerprint for each chemical substance, based on the molecule’s polarizability concerning its vibrational motion. Combining these techniques provides specific spectral characteristics suitable for the classification and quality control of essential oils.