Development of a high-throughput solution for crystallinity measurement using THz-Raman spectroscopy

Rapid identification and the quantitative analysis of crystalline content and the degree of crystallinity is important in pharmaceuticals and polymer manufacturing. Crystallinity affects the bioavailability of pharmaceutical molecules and there is a strong correlation between the performance of polymers and their degree of crystallinity. Low frequency/THz-Raman spectroscopy has enabled determination of crystalline content in materials as a complementary method to X-ray powder diffraction. By incorporating motion stages and microplates, we have extended the applicability of THz-Raman technology to high-throughput screening applications. We describe here a complete THz-Raman microplate reader, with integrated laser, optics, spectrograph and software that are necessary for detecting low-frequency Raman signals. In powder materials scattering is also affected by particle size and the presence of cavities, which lead to a lack of precision and repeatability in Raman intensity measurements. We address this problem by spatial averaging using specific stage motion patterns. This design facilitates rapid and precise measurement of low-frequency vibrational modes, differentiation of polymorphs and other structural characteristics for applications in pharmaceuticals, nano- and bio-materials and for the characterization of industrial polymers where XRPD is commonly used.