AFM-Raman (TERS) for nano-scale imaging of pharmaceutical solid dispersions and characterisation of nano-particles

该项目将首次研究尖端增强拉曼光谱（TERS）在药物制剂成像中的应用，以期最终使用收集的数据建立药物制剂的预测模型。该项目是由制药行业对纳米级化学成像的迫切需求驱动的-现有技术如红外或拉曼光谱基本上是衍射限制的，只能提供300 - 500微米长度尺度的信息。TERS将拉曼成像的化学特异性与原子力显微镜的空间分辨率（纳米级）相结合，同时还提供了拉曼信号的潜在大规模增强（几个数量级）。阿斯利康是项目合作伙伴。该项目涵盖的EPSRC关键研究领域包括：分析科学;化学结构;制造技术;操作研究;和粒子技术。使用TERS为纳米级药物问题提供答案，为药物开发人员提供了一个机会，大大增加了他们的配方进入市场的机会（以数千万英镑计的潜在财务影响），然而TERS是一种先进的技术，尚未上市。因此，该项目将允许在药物相关环境中使用TERS，并实现丰富的新科学，同时也使阿斯利康能够评估是否对该技术进行进一步研究。（复杂混合物中的相分离、药物失效机制、先进分析方法的新应用领域）具有明确的商业和工业需求，因此非常适合EPSRC的资金

This project will investigate for the first time the application of Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (TERS) to imaging of pharmaceutical formulations, with a view to ultimately using the data gathered to build a predictive model for medicine formulation. The project is driven by an urgent unmet need in pharmaceutical industry for chemical imaging at the nano-scale - existing techniques such as infra-red or Raman spectroscopy are essentially diffraction-limited and can only deliver information at a length scale of 300-500 microns. TERS combines the chemical specificity of Raman imaging with the spatial resolution of atomic-force microscopy (nano-metres), while also offering a potential massive enhancement of Raman signal (several orders of magnitude). AstraZeneca are the project partners. Key EPSRC research areas covered by the project include: analytical science; chemical structure; manufacturing technologies; operational research; and particle technology. The use of TERS to provide answers to problems with medicines which originate at the nanoscale offers an opportunity for medicine developers to greatly increase the chance of their formulations entering the market (potential financial impact measured in tens of millions of pounds), however TERS is an advanced technology not yet available off-the-shelf. The project will therefore allow the use of TERS in a pharmaceutically relevant setting and enable a wealth of new science, while also enabling AstraZeneca to evaluate whether to pursue further research into this technique.The project combines cutting-edge science (phase separation in complex mixtures, mechanisms of medicine failure, new application areas for advanced analysis methods) with a clear commercial and industrial need, and is therefore very well placed for EPSRC funding