Glimpses of history and developments in analytical instrumentation: scientific and engineering advances and industrial applications

Analytical chemistry is a measurement science used to determine the composition and structure of matter. It is an integral part of all sciences, and it isn’t easy to imagine the progress made so far in all areas of science and technology without analytical sciences and analytical instrumentation. Over the centuries, incredible progress was achieved in analytical chemistry and analytical instrumentation. An attempt is made here to highlight some significant historical developments, starting from Isaac Newton’s splitting of white light into separate beams of light using a prism, to the development of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the fabrication of tiny chemical sensors. Nuclear techniques like X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and the instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) that are highly sensitive, specific, and capable of both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Mass spectrometry (MS) is one of the most powerful and versatile tools in a modern analytical laboratory. During the last five decades, a series of new analytical techniques, such as different forms of ICP-MS, ICP-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), Raman spectroscopy, laser ionization break-down spectroscopy (LIBS), and microwave plasma atomic emission spectrometry (MP-AES) were introduced that made a tremendous impact in measurement science. Novel ideas and unprecedented advances in microelectronics and artificial intelligence (AI) led to the miniaturization of most of these instruments which have become very important in certain areas such as space, earth, environmental and material sciences, and industrial monitoring. Demands in areas like environmental monitoring, and precision agriculture to satisfy global food requirements, and online monitoring in industries and several other engineering applications led to the development of portable sensors. Most importantly, this review also focusses on the characterization, and application of electrochemical materials required current energy transition.