ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES FOR PHARMACEUTICAL SOLIDS AND SOLUTIONS - 2027/8

Module Overview

This module equips you with the knowledge and skills to use chromatography confidently as a practical problem-solving tool in pharmaceutical science. You will learn to interpret chromatographic data, make informed method choices, and optimise separations in a way that reflects real-world industry and research demands. By combining theory with data-driven workshops and applied laboratory work, you will develop the competence needed to perform reliable analysis, support quality control, and contribute to pharmaceutical development using chromatography.

Module provider

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Module Leader

ZARMPI Panagiota (Chst Chm Eng)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

Recap of fundamental principles: Classification, terminology, fundamentals of solute interaction, equations/calculations in chromatography; Efficiency and resolution - Van Deemter equation; Basic chromatographic methods - planar (Thin Layer Chromatography, paper) and column chromatography.

Types of chromatography: planar, column, high performance, gas, modes.

Chromatographic parameters: retention time, resolution, selectivity, capacity factor, factors affecting separation.

Application of chromatography in pharmaceutical sciences: method development, sample preparation, drug identification, purity testing, assays, stability studies, separation of two or more analytes, guided optimisation of key parameters.

Solid-state and thermal characterisation techniques: Differential Scanning Calorimetry, X-ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron microscopy.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

For the laboratory exercises an alternative written assessment can be set. This is based on analysing or explaining experimental data, or detailing experimental techniques.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide you with opportunities to demonstrate understanding of core principles while developing practical and analytical skills essential for a career in pharmaceutical sciences.
Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Laboratory reports: addresses learning outcomes: 2, 3, and 5

• Examination: addresses learning outcomes: 1, 2, and 4

Formative assessment is designed to support your learning and development by providing ongoing feedback and opportunities to consolidate knowledge, develop practical skills, and link theory to practice. It includes activities such as in-class quizzes, problem-solving exercises, workshops, and group discussions. In laboratory sessions, formative assessment is provided through guided worksheets, and informal feedback from instructors, enabling you to prepare for experiments, interpret results, and refine practical techniques before submitting summative lab reports. These activities are intended to help you identify areas for improvement, enhance critical thinking, and develop transferable skills such as teamwork, scientific communication, and data analysis, ensuring you are well-prepared for the summative assessments and for progression to more advanced pharmaceutics content in later years.

Feedback will be provided throughout the module during lectures, through interactions in laboratory and workshop sessions, and on individual laboratory reports. This will include general guidance to the whole group as well as specific feedback on work to support learning and development. In addition, one-to-one feedback can be requested by appointment with the module leader or relevant lecturer, providing opportunities for further discussion and clarification of concepts.

Module aims

• Introduce the principles and applications of analytical techniques used in pharmaceutical science.
• Develop understanding of chromatographic separation principles and solid-state characterisation methods.
• Apply analytical concepts to pharmaceutical materials.
• Develop practical skills in analytical instrumentation, experimental procedures and data interpretation.
• Develop problem-solving skills through evaluation and optimisation of analytical methods.
• Enhance scientific communication through reporting and interpretation of analytical findings.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to provide you with a solid theoretical foundation in the subject matter while also developing practical, cognitive, and transferable skills essential for future careers.
The learning and teaching methods include:
Lectures: delivered primarily through PowerPoint and led by experienced members of academic staff with subject-specific expertise. The lectures will focus on introducing key concepts in chromatography. Sessions will be interactive, with regular opportunities for students to ask questions, engage in guided problem-solving and reflective thinking, and receive timely feedback from staff and peers.
Laboratory sessions: delivered by experienced academic staff, supported by trained demonstrators who will be available throughout each session to provide guidance and assistance at every stage of the practical work. The laboratory activities are closely aligned with the lecture content and are designed to help students develop essential practical skills while reinforcing and conceptualising the fundamental principles introduced in lectures. Students will collect, process, and present experimental data for reporting purposes, thereby enhancing their analytical skills and developing their digital capabilities.
Workshops: delivered by experienced academic staff with subject-specific expertise and will adopt a problem-based learning approach centred on relevant, real-world scenarios. Students will be provided with structured exercises that encourage application of core concepts, critical thinking, and professional judgement. Dedicated time will be allocated for students to work through tasks individually and collaboratively, with ongoing opportunities to interact with the lecturer, ask questions, and engage in discussion. Each session will conclude with lecturer-led feedback, including worked solutions and guided reflection, to consolidate learning and support the development of transferable skills relevant to future academic study and professional practice.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: CHE2047

Other information

The school of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience.
This module will support the development of key professional skills required in modern pharmaceutical laboratories. You will enhance your digital capabilities through online data analysis, calculation of chromatographic parameters, and interpretation of chromatograms using industry-standard software and resources. You will develop resourcefulness and resilience by identifying and resolving chromatographic issues, and by using scientific databases and pharmacopeial sources to research methods and best practice. The module also promotes sustainability by encouraging the selection of greener solvents and minimising waste through responsible experimental design and disposal practices. Overall, you will strengthen your employability through critical thinking, problem-solving, and adherence to health and safety compliance, preparing you for roles in both industry and research environments.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2027/8 academic year.