A cryostat for low temperature resonance Raman measurements on operando oxygenated bioinorganic model complexes

Raman spectroscopy is a useful tool for the elucidation of bioinorganic mechanisms. To investigate charge-transfer processes in operando oxygenated bioinorganic samples, we present a new cryostat for liquid samples at low temperature. We reach temperatures below −80 °C inside a Suprasil glass cuvette which is prerequisite for the formation of the oxo species and long-term stability of the sample. Under operando conditions we demonstrate resonance Raman as well as isotope substitution measurements on a bis(μ-oxo) dicopper(III) complex. Future applications of our setup are envisioned to be transient Raman, steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence as well as transient absorption spectroscopy of bioinorganic or other charge-transfer complexes.