W. Richard Bowen and Nidal Hilal 4

C H A P T E R
6
Nanoscale Analysis
of Pharmaceuticals by
Scanning Probe Microscopy
Clive J. Roberts
O U T L I N E
6.1 Introduction 173
6.2 The AFM as a Force Measurement Tool in Pharmaceuticals 174
6.2.1 Particle Interaction Measurements 175
6.2.2 Mechanical Properties from Single-particle Measurements 179
6.3 AFM Imaging-Based Studies 183
6.4 Micro- and Nanothermal Characterisation with SPM 185
6.5 Conclusions 190
Acknowledgements 190
Abbreviations and Symbols 190
References 191
6.1 INTroduCTIoN
There is an increasing demand to develop pharmaceuticals and biomedical
devices with architectures and complex chemistries controlled at
the nanoscale. The need to develop delivery systems capable of targeting
specific sites in the body or to successfully formulate poorly soluble
drugs frequently requires nanoscale solutions. For example, targeted systems
typically employ nanoparticles, incorporating a number of elements
Atomic Force Microscopy in Process Engineering 173
© 2009, Elsevier Ltd