White Paper: Advancements in Pharmaceutical Research Through Small-Angle X-ray Scattering
Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) has contributed to pharmaceutical research by providing detailed insights into the structural characteristics of macromolecules, nanoparticles, and drug formulations. The intricacies of SAXS applications in the pharmaceutical industry, which include nanoparticle analysis, protein structure elucidation, drug development, and formulation optimization, will be highlighted. The paper aims to showcase how SAXS serves as a key analytical technique, enabling researchers to make informed decisions in drug design and development.
Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is a non-destructive analytical technique that utilizes the scattering of
X-rays to investigate the nanoscale structures of materials.(1) In the pharmaceutical context, SAXS has emerged as a versatile tool for characterizing the size, shape, and internal structures of various drug delivery systems.
The materials can be solid or liquid and may include solid, liquid or gaseous domains (so-called particles) of the same or another material in any combination.(2)
Typically, X-rays are directed through the sample (transmission mode) and every particle that happens to be within the beam will send out its signal. Thus, the average structure of all illuminated particles in the bulk material is measured.(2)
The samples that can be analyzed and the time requirements of the experiments mainly depend on the used instrumentation, which can be classified into two main groups, i.e. line collimation instruments and point collimation instruments. The particle or structure sizes that can be resolved range from approximately 1 nm to 300 nm in a typical setup but can be extended on both sides by measuring at smaller (ultra small-angle X-ray scattering, USAXS) or larger angles (wide-angle X-ray scattering, WAXS also called X-ray Diffraction, XRD) than the typical 0.1° to 10° of SAXS.(2)
References:
1. Glatter, O., & Kratky, O. (1982). Small Angle X-ray Scattering. Academic Press.
2. Schnablegger H. et al., The SAXS Guide 5th edition; Anton Paar GmbH 2023
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