MCR-ALS and Curve Resolution
Multivariate Curve Resolution by Alternating Least Squares estimates component spectra and concentration-like profiles from mixture data.
Use MCR-ALS For
- evolving mixtures
- overlapping spectral bands
- synthetic benchmark recovery
- reaction or process series where pure spectra are not directly observed
Outputs to Inspect
- resolved spectra
- concentration/profile estimates
- lack of fit
- R2 or explained reconstruction quality
- iteration/convergence behavior
Ambiguity
MCR solutions can be scaled, permuted, or locally ambiguous. Interpret recovered profiles with chemical constraints, known references, and residual diagnostics rather than treating a single run as uniquely true.