Picking a spectrophotometer cuvette for the first time could be a daunting experience. Following the easy guide below allows researchers to quickly and easily select the proper cuvette for just about any experiment.

Spectrophotometer or Fluorometer Cuvette

The most basic question to answer when selecting a cuvette is which kind of machine does it go in. If it switches into a spectrophotometer, then a two parallel windows need to be polished. If an investigator is using a fluorometer, than all four optical windows need to be polished. It is very important to note a spectrophotometer cuvette will not work in a fluorometer, but a fluorometer cuvette will continue to work in a spectrophotometer.

What Material Is Best

Depending on the kind of experiment, the material the cuvette is made from is very important. For researchers working in the UV range, they require a particular UV quartz that may transmit from 190-340 nm. The most typical range that scientists work in is the visible or VIS range which will be from 340-2,000 nm. Because of this range there are three different materials available centered on a labs budget.

IR Quartz is probably the most expensive material which quartz cuvettes covers from 190-3,500 nm. Next comes UV Quartz covering 190-2,500 nm. And probably the most economical option for a VIS experiment is optical glass which covers 340-2,000 nm. If an investigator does not desire to re-use a cuvette, then they could find disposable spectrophotometer cuvettes that may be thrown away after one use.

What Lightpath To Choose

Lightpaths are how many millimeters the light has traveling before it exits the spectrophotometer cuvette. Lightpaths can vary from very small, ex. 0.01 mm, as much as 200 mm. The largest determing aspect in selecting the proper lightpath is the size of the sample an investigator is using. If the researcher features a large sample, then the 10 mm lightpath is the industry standard. In case a scientist features a small sample that's very costly, such as for instance DNA/RNA, he then should make use of a small lightpath cuvette to store his sample.