Use of dendrograms of slice spectra as a new graphical tool for the interpretation of two-dimensional correlation spectra.

In this paper a procedure is established to identify spectral bands that show similar behavior in two-dimensional correlation spectra. Slice spectra of bands that are affected in a single spectral event are highly similar. It is shown that this can be used to simplify the interpretation of two-dimensional (2D) correlation diagrams. One functional group frequently gives rise to multiple spectral bands in a Raman spectrum. In such occasions, the sequential order rules assign a sequential order, which is invalid, to the changes in these bands. We therefore apply cluster analysis to the slice spectra of bands with intensity changes during the experiment. Results indicate that cluster analysis of selected slice spectra can help in the interpretation of 2D correlation spectra in an intuitive and graphical way. The procedure should be used together with the widely used sequential order rules to determine the order of spectral events. The procedure enabled us to reveal the reaction steps in two simulated datasets and a dataset that comprises Raman spectra of oxidating latex of Lactarius fluens (Basidiomycota, Fungi).