The establishment of a structure-property relationship in amorphous solid dispersions (ASD) is considered difficult largely due to the notion that ASDs lack long-range structures. However, short- and medium-range orders are still present in ASDs and may have an impact on their physiochemical properties. In this rapid-fire talk, I will discuss several analytical tools (e.g., spectroscopy, Pair Distribution Functions, simulations, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance) that are available to characterize the short- and medium-range orders in ASDs. Furthermore, I will present a detailed study on the molecular packing characterization of amorphous materials to showcase the effectiveness of these tools. While each tool has its own limitation in extracting structural information from ASDs, a combination of appropriate analytical tools will provide insights into a structure-property relationship in ASDs and will guide the development of ASDs.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, the participants will understand the different aspects in terms of structure in amorphous materials.
Upon completion, the participants will expand their knowledge of the analytical tools available to characterize ASDs.
Upon completion, the participants will gain a deeper understanding of the progress and challenges in structure determination of ASDs.
