Applicability of confocal Raman microscopy for the reaction monitoring of imine formation in a glass microfluidic chip

Laser-induced Raman microscopy has been used to illustrate the applicability for the in-situ reaction monitoring of imine formation reaction in a glass micro fluidic chip. Time-dependent Raman spectra were accumulated for one hour with four minute intervals. The disappearance of the C=O stretching peak for the reactant, benzaldehyde, at 1700 cm^-1 and the appearance of the Raman peak for the product, imine, at 1629 cm^-1 have been successfully monitored. In addition, the increase of C=C stretching Raman peak at 1593 cm^-1 has also been observed. This is caused by a π electron conjugation between two benzene rings through the C=N bond of imine. Laser-induced Raman microscopy is expected to be a very effective analytical tool for the monitoring of in-situ chemical reaction, which is proceeded in a glass microfluidic chip.