An interview with Dr. M. Naderi, Associate Director of Science Applications

An interview with Dr. M. Naderi, Associate Director of Science Applications

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  • Source: Microbioz India

  • Date: 01 Mar,2023

In this article, Microbioz India is pleased to share an exclusive interview with Dr. M. Naderi, Associate Director of Science Applications,

Dr. Majid Naderi received his Master’s degree in Petrochemicals and his Doctorate in the synthesis of novel catalysts, which was sponsored by Shell, from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (U.M.I.S.T.), Manchester, U.K. He joined Surface Measurement Systems in 2002, using his background in Physical Chemistry and its applications to the characterization and development of inorganic solids. Dr Naderi is the Associate Director of Science Applications at Surface Measurement Systems with the responsibility for the application of Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) and Inverse Gas Chromatography Surface Energy Analyzer (IGC SEA) for materials characterization using a broad range of materials including, Pharmaceuticals, catalysts and polymers. Dr Naderi has delivered a number of international lectures and is the author and co-author of more than 40 scientific papers and posters as well as a chapter book on the methods for measuring BET surface area.

How are Surface Measurement Systems instruments used for solid state characterisations of Pharmaceutical materials?

Pharmaceuticals materials, in their many physical forms, have a wide range of complex behaviours, often dependent on their intricate crystalline and amorphous morphologies. Surface Measurement Systems offers two types of instruments to study such materials, DVS and iGC-SEA. The DVS measures sorption and desorption isotherms over a broad range of humidities and temperatures using water, organic solvents or gases to investigate the interaction of vapour with Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API’s), excipients and pharmaceutical formulations. DVS Systems offer unprecedented temperature stability and humidity performance. For organic vapour analysis the systems are equipped with a speed of sound sensor (SOS) which directly measure solvent concentrations over a wide range of temperatures and partial pressures.

Popular experiments carried out using the DVS is to understand hygroscopicity, moisture content, moisture-induced phase transitions, hydrate formation/loss, and amorphous content.

DVS Discovery: The world’s most advanced dual balance gravimetric vapor sorption instrument

The iGC-SEA is based on a gas phase chromatographic technique for characterizing surface properties of solid materials. The iGC-SEA is routinely used to highlight differences in surface properties due to its sensitivity and ability to carry out experiments at infinite dilution. For pharmaceutical analysis, the system can provide data such as surface energies, BET surface area, differences in batch-to-batch variation, acid-base parameters, glass transition temperatures, diffusion coefficients and surface heterogeneity.

Moisture analysis of pharmaceutical material is critical in research, development & quality control stages of Pharmaceutical companies. ‘How can Surface Measurement Systems improve and facilitate this routine moisture analysis?” 

Moisture analysis of pharmaceuticals are routinely carried out by the DVS with water as a probe. This could provide useful to understand moisture uptake of a sample by carrying out experiments which increase RH with time. It is possible to study the moisture stability of a range of dosage forms such as granules, capsules, powders and tablets across a wide range of real-world temperatures and humidities. This data could be used to improve stability and shelf life.

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Role of Dynamic Vapour Sorption (DVS) in characterising Pharmaceutical Materials

Pharmaceutical material may exhibit phase changes as a result of difference in moisture conditions. DVS instruments, combined with video imaging and Raman are ideal for mapping out the stability behaviour of pharmaceutical hydrates and understand moisture induced crystallization kinetics. It can provide Raman spectra at different stages of relative humidity helping to chemically identify hydrate formation.

By carrying out experiments in consecutive cycles, DVS is able to identify any permanent changes to samples caused by moisture.

What have been the main accomplishments of the Surface Measurement Systems during the last five years?

Since 2017, Surface Measurement Systems has gone from strength to strength, expanding our central product offering and broadening the horizons of the business as a whole. We have solidified our position as world leaders in sorption science by adding more products tour portfolio and creating new applications across different industries. Outside of our instrumentations, SMS has been expanding in new and exciting ways. We are preparing to launch a new customer portal in the Autumn 2022 which will give our customers access to a large library of eLearning content and instructional videos and enable more streamlined submission and response for support requests.

In order to offer greater support and service to our European customers, September 2022 saw the launch of Surface Measurement Systems GmbH, and new office based in Germany which forms just one part of ambitious plans for growth in the coming years. In India, SMS is preparing the opening of a brand-new business: Particle Characterisation Laboratories. This unique contract research organization will specialize in particle characterisation, and will work with researchers around the world on their materials and research projects to conduct experiments and assist in interpreting the results.

A survey of accomplishments over the past 5 years would be incomplete without mentioning all the challenges brought by Covid-19. Upon the beginning of lockdown, our offices quickly adapted to ensure maximum safety for our staff, while still delivering instruments and supporting our customers online. The move online also brought about the creation of our webinar series, which grew to be a hugely popular resource for the sorption science community. These online events culminated in the iGC Symposium Online 2021, and the

Sorption Science Symposium 2021 Online, two entirely virtual 2-day events that delivered the latest findings and networking opportunities to sorption scientists across the world.

Could you brief some recent innovation and product developed by Surface Measurement Systems?

Over the last 6 years, SMS has been hard at work developing innovative new instruments for sorption research. In late 2016, SMS launched a complete new line of products with added technological advancements, such as its own patented Speed of Sound sensor. To this date, the SOS sensor remains unique to SMS’s product for the accurate measurement of organic solvent concentrations. 2018 saw the launch of the DVS Intrinsic PLUS, and upgraded version of an existing instrument that expanded its capabilities, while retaining its status as the world’s smallest DVS instrument.

Then in 2021 the DVS Discovery was launched, becoming the world’s most advanced dual balance gravimetric vapor sorption instrument on release. Capable of using water vapor and organic gases, the instrument’s huge range of capabilities and modular accessories mean it can be employed in a variety of ways to examine pharmaceutical materials, and provide detailed and accurate sorption data.

Now in 2022 the DVS Carbon is being released to the market; an instrument capable of measuring CO2 capture developed in response to high demand amongst our customer-base. This is just the tip of the ice berg, with a diverse range of other product launches planned for the coming year.

What other applications are there for Surface Measurement Systems instruments across Pharma and Analytical Research Labs?

As well as the methods mentioned batch to batch variation in pharmaceuticals is a common problem which can occur due to polymorph changes during industrial processes. The iGC-SEA can be useful to characterize polymorphs due to its sensitivity and accuracy to carry out experiments at infinite dilution.

It has proven to show clear differences observed in surface properties by targeting specific surface groups on the material.

The DVS can help to identify what conditions may cause polymorphism by exposing the sample to different vapours at different temperatures and partial pressures that may induce such behaviour. In addition, both systems offer the ability to determine the glass transition temperature of pharmaceutical undergoing second order phase transition where an amorphous or partly crystalline material changes from being a glassy elastic solid to being a rubbery solid. The DVS and iGC-SEA can be used for studying molecular diffusion and permeability in pharmaceutical using a range of probes including water, organic solvents and gases.

Relevant application notes:

  1. DVS
  2. Application Note 13: Moisture Sorption of Hydrophobic Pharmaceutical Substances
  3. Application Note 30: Calculation of Diffusion Constants in a Pharmaceutical Powder using DVS
  4. Application Note 36: Investigation of Hydrate Formation and Loss Using the DVS
  5. Application Note 41: Investigation of Solvate Formation and Loss Using the DVS
  6. Application Note 42: Using the DVS to Investigate Moisture-Induced Crystallization Kinetics
  7. Application Note 44: Determining Amorphous Contents without a Standard Hydrate/Solvate Stoichiometry
  8. Application Note 52: Vapor Permeability of Porous Materials using Payne Diffusion Cell iGC-SEA
  9. Application Note 202 – Determination of the dispersive surface energy of Paracetamol by pulse inverse gas chromatography at infinite dilution.
  10. Application Note 204 – Determination of the glass transition temperatures Tg of maltose
    and its dependence on relative humidity by infinite dilution inverse gas chromatography.
  11. Application Note 214 – The determination of the permeability and the activation energy of diffusion of drug powders by infinite dilution inverse gas chromatography.
  12. Application Note 215 – A sorption study on microporous materials by finite dilution inverse gas chromatography.
  13. Application Note 227 – Determination of Acid-Base Component of the Surface Energy by Inverse Gas Chromatography

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