Fluorescence spectroscopy and multi-way techniques. PARAFAC

TLDR

PARAFAC is widely used to decompose fluorescence excitation–emission matrices into constituent fluorophores, but practical and analytical challenges often hinder chemical interpretation. This article offers a practical tutorial on applying PARAFAC to fluorescence data, illustrated with a dissolved organic matter dataset. The authors present a MATLAB toolbox that enhances visualization and sensitivity analysis of PARAFAC models in fluorescence spectroscopy. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Abstract

PARAllel FACtor analysis (PARAFAC) is increasingly used to decompose fluorescence excitation emission matrices (EEMs) into their underlying chemical components. In the ideal case where fluorescence conforms to Beers Law, this process can lead to the mathematical identification and quantification of independently varying fluorophores. However, many practical and analytical hurdles stand between EEM datasets and their chemical interpretation. This article provides a tutorial in the practical application of PARAFAC to fluorescence datasets, demonstrated using a dissolved organic matter (DOM) fluorescence dataset. A new toolbox for MATLAB is presented to support improved visualisation and sensitivity analyses of PARAFAC models in fluorescence spectroscopy. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.