Characterization of Standard Reference Material 2942, Ce-ion-doped glass, spectral correction standard for UV fluorescence

Standard Reference Material (SRM) 2942 is a cuvette-shaped, Ce-ion-doped glass, recommended for use for relative spectral correction of emission from 320 to 430 nm and day-to-day performance verification of steady-state fluorescence spectrometers. Properties of this standard that influence its effective use or contribute to the uncertainty in its certified emission spectrum were explored here. These properties include its photostability, absorbance, dissolution rate in water, anisotropy and temperature coefficient of fluorescence intensity. The expanded uncertainties in the certified spectrum are about 9% around the peak maximum at 330 nm, using an excitation wavelength of 310 nm. The SRM also exhibits a strong resistance to photodegradation, with no measurable decrease in fluorescence intensity even after 25 h of irradiation with UV light>280 nm from a Xe lamp.