Solid-State Characterisation of Pharmaceuticals II

Overview

Summary of Lecture Content:

• Surface Area and Porosity Analysis (BET)
• Optical and Electron Microscopy (SEM, TEM) (1)
• Optical and Electron Microscopy (SEM, TEM) (2)
• Advanced Imaging Techniques (Cryo EM, AFM)
• Solid-State Characterisation of Biopharmaceuticals
• Essentials of pharmaceutical formulation (1)
• Essentials of pharmaceutical formulation (2)
• Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS) for Pharmaceutical Applications
• Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) for Pharmaceutical Formulations
• Particulate Analysis
• Combining Solid State Analytical Techniques (1)
• Combining Solid State Analytical Techniques (2)

Summary of Practical Content:

• Practical 1: SEM
• Practical 2: SAXS

Learning Objectives

At the end of the module the students will be able to:

• Explain and evaluate advanced solid-state characterisation techniques such as BET, SAXS,
DVS, and microscopy (SEM, TEM, Cryo-EM, AFM) in the context of pharmaceutical materials
and formulations.
• Critically assess particle properties such as surface area, porosity, morphology, and
hygroscopicity, and their influence on formulation design and performance.
• Apply imaging and scattering techniques to investigate microstructural and nanoscale features
of pharmaceutical solids and biopharmaceuticals.
• Interpret data from multiple complementary solid-state techniques to generate a
comprehensive understanding of formulation characteristics and behaviour.
• Demonstrate competence in practical application of advanced analytical techniques (e.g. SEM,
SAXS) and evaluate their utility in solving formulation-related challenges.
• Integrate formulation principles with analytical findings to inform rational design, development,
and optimisation of pharmaceutical products.

Skills

Skills associated with module:

• Ability to operate and interpret data from advanced imaging techniques (e.g. SEM, TEM, Cryo-
EM, AFM) for pharmaceutical characterisation.
• Combining data from techniques such as BET, SAXS, DVS, and microscopy to draw holistic
conclusions about formulation properties and behaviour.
• Capability to connect physicochemical and microstructural data with formulation performance,
informing design decisions in pharmaceutical development.

Assessment

Assessment Profile
Element type Element weight (%)
Coursework 100

Course Requirements:

• Coursework submission 100 %
• Laboratory Class attendance 100 %
• Total coursework elements must be passed at 50%