I am trying to measure the Raman microscopy spectrum of a drug in its powder form and I am not sure what is the best way to spread the powder over the microscope slide so that no interference will be observed. Please note that I am doing this experiment as a reference measurement. My ultimate goal is to access the penetration of this drug across the skin.
Thanks for your assistance.
Mays Al-Dulaymi you can pressed your sample or make a pellet. may be it will help you to take Raman. Thanks.
Using a high magnification, you may be able to focus on a single crystallite. However, if your laser is polarised, your spectrum will depend on the relative orientation of the crystal axis.
A finely ground powder can be measured with lower magnification, but can give rise to a large scattering background.
The suggestion of Shasika Panamaldeniya is very good. A KBr pellet press is very good for compressing the powder.
Hi Mays Al-Dulaymi in addition to what has been suggested you could use a coverslip on the microscope slide to stop the powder moving while you are transporting/mounting in your Raman system. To measure this setup you would then need a 50x or higher objective and focus just under the coverslip and on the powder to get a good measurement. A grade #1.5 is the thickest you should use. For your microscope slide wrapping it aluminium or using an aluminium slide is a lot easier to use as well. Best of luck and hope you get your reference measurement.
Dear Mays, if you target delivery of the drug, it would perhaps be better to take your reference in solution - both during application and within body the drug will be diluted and the spectra in crystal phase and in solution differ significantly (mostly due to overwhelming intermolecular interactions that hold the crystal together). In that case, a square capillary and series of solutions with different concentration (likely in the 100 mM range) would be a good reference.
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