Pure component spectral recovery and constrained matrix factorizations: Concepts and applications

Abstract

We present new ideas underlying a self-modelling factor analytical method which allows to extract pure component spectra and the associated concentration profiles from a set of spectroscopic measurements. The usefulness of the method is demonstrated and compared with established tools for model problems and for a system from catalytic hydroformylation by Rhodium complexes both with overlapping component spectra. Self-modelling methods tend to minimize the overlap of the recovered spectra, which can result in an unwanted distortion of the spectra and concentration profiles. For strongly overlapping spectra a penalty condition on a specific singular value of the absorptivity matrix factor and a global decomposition approach are appropriate tools to construct improved factorizations. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.