X-Ray Diffraction Analysis Unravels Complex Samples

The analysis of formulated drugs presents a significant challenge due to the complexity of the samples. As a result, the analytical chemist has traditionally needed to utilize a wide variety of techniques in the analysis and monitoring of a drug as it moves through discovery, development and manufacturing. Now, developments in hardware and software technology have propelled X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) into the front rank as a tool to generate valuable data for diverse applications in the pharmaceutical industry – from in-depth research investigations to at-line production control processes.

This article focuses on the application of x-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) to tablet analysis and discusses four different examples.

During the manufacturing process of tablets, small variations, for example in temperature or pressure, may change the morphology of the excipients or the crystalline state of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in the final product. Since these changes can directly affect a drug's pharmacological properties, it is important to be able to analyze the final oral dosage form. XRPD is ideally suited to this purpose because, in contrast to several other commonly used techniques, it allows non-destructive analysis.