Special Issues-06-01-2016

Raman spectroscopy is particularly useful for identification of contaminant materials in pharmaceuticals because it can very clearly and nondestructively identify materials. Raman spectroscopy can be used to identify foreign matter on tablets as well as the individual tablet materials to confirm the material’s legitimacy. For injectable drug vials, Raman spectroscopy can be used with microscopy to count, size, and identify particulate contamination found in such vials. Spectral interpretation is key to the value of Raman spectroscopy, and it is important for accuracy of identification not to simply rely on library match values.

Cosmetic preparations are common consumer products that consist of various organic and inorganic materials. In this paper, a method for the identification and spatial discrimination of the components in eye shadow samples using laser Raman microspectroscopy is described. The use of a multivariate curve resolution (MCR) is utilized during the analysis of the cosmetic preparation mapping data to develop the spatial discrimination information presented within this note.

Analytical quality control (AQC) is an established application of Raman spectroscopy in many industrial fields. The extension of Raman spectroscopy as an AQC method in hospital environments imparts the benefits of a noninvasive and nondestructive analysis. The literature in using Raman spectroscopy as an AQC method for chemotherapy preparation and anesthesia gas monitoring is reviewed. Future applications in tissue engineering and incorporating new Raman techniques into AQC are also discussed.

Recent advances in Raman instrumentation have resulted in the development of easy-to-use and efficient handheld Raman analyzers. Most of the commercially available handheld Raman devices utilize 785 or 1064 nm excitation. This paper directly demonstrates the performance of 532 nm handheld Raman (versus 785 and 1064 nm) for the analysis of biopharmaceuticals for structure and counterfeit testing as well as explosive detection (TSA screening and CSI applications). The results presented here will contribute to recognition of 532 nm Raman excitation as a highly attractive option for a rapid “in-place” analysis in the field.

Aligned semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) are expected to outperform silicon as the next generation of integrated circuits. Greater utilization of polarized Raman spectroscopy is proving beneficial for efficient characterization of alignment in CNT films. Here, we present the results of how polarized Raman imaging can be used to effectively characterize alignment in large regions of aligned s-SWCNT films.

This information is a supplementary to the article “Polarized Raman Spectroscopy of Aligned Semiconducting Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes” that was published in the June 2016 Spectroscopy supplemental issue Raman Technology for Today’s Spectroscopists (1).

Colin Campbell discusses his work applying SERS to biomedical applications.

Raman spectroscopy offers a number of benefits for testing and characterization, with the selection of system components and measurement parameters offering great flexibility.

Click the title above to open the Spectroscopy June 2016 Raman Technology Supplement, Vol 31 No s6, in an interactive PDF format.