Construction of the Multi-dimensional VCD System

This chapter describes the construction and operation of a VCD system capable of microscopic scanning. The instrument was manufactured in our laboratory in 2020 (denoted as the multi-dimensional VCD spectrometer). The system is equipped with a quantum cascade laser as an IR (infrared) source. The spot of a laser light is focused to 100 μm in diameter. A sample is mounted on an automatic micro-sampling accessory. While the sample moves two-dimensionally, VCD signals are collected as the functions of wavenumber and positional coordinates. The two-dimensional pattern of VCD activity is obtained at the spatial resolution of 100 μm. The final goal is to reveal the location and composition of chiral domains in a biological organ.