Can Raman spectra be obtained from aqueous materials?

Raman is very well suited to analysis of aqueous samples (including solutions, and biological materials such as tissue and cells).  Water is a very weak Raman scatterer, and typically is much weaker than other materials, - additionally the water spectrum is very simple, with only a small number of peaks, so there is minimum interference with peaks from the solute.

Thus, analysis of a solute in aqueous solution is easily possible, since in most cases the peak intensity from the solute will be stronger than those from the water, even when the water is in great excess.

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