Low-frequency Raman spectroscopy

Being able to access the low-frequency region in Raman spectroscopy promises better insight into the detailed composition of pharmaceutical drugs and also stronger Raman signal levels. By combining low-frequency Raman spectroscopy with microscopy techniques and multi-variate analysis it is possible to determine the crystallinity levels and distribution of polymorphic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in a drug. This information is very important in pharmaceutical manufacturing to ensure the therapeutic quality of the final product.

With the increased availability of precise narrow-bandwidth filters and stable narrowlinewidth laser sources with very high level of spectral purity, such as the 785 nm laser source pre-sented here, the use of lowfrequency Raman spectroscopy for investigation of pharmaceutical products is starting to transition from research laboratory settings to production-lines in pharmaceutical industries.