Rapid Testing of Solvents Through Amber Bottles using an Agilent Vaya Handheld Raman Spectrometer

Significance of the Topic

The precise verification of raw materials is crucial in biopharmaceutical manufacturing to maintain product quality and safety.
Organic solvents play a key role in synthesis and analysis steps but carry risks of contamination and variability.
Noninvasive rapid identification methods help streamline warehouse operations and prevent errors without exposing materials to contamination risk.

Study Objectives and Overview

This application note describes the development and validation of a rapid identification test for five common solvents using a handheld Raman spectrometer with SORS technology.
The primary goals were to enable through amber bottle analysis deliver clear pass fail results in seconds and support quality control workflows in warehouse and laboratory settings.

Methodology and Instrumentation

A Vaya handheld Raman spectrometer equipped with spatially offset Raman spectroscopy SORS was used.
Five solvents were tested methanol ethanol isopropanol acetonitrile and toluene all in amber glass bottles.
Identification methods were created via the device method development wizard using standard settings for amber containers.
Performance qualification was carried out before spectral acquisition and automated baseline correction was applied during analysis.

Key Results and Discussion

Distinct Raman bands were observed for each solvent For example methanol showed a strong C O stretch at 1033 cm-1 and a CH3 deformation at 1464 cm-1.
Ethanol exhibited a main band at 886 cm-1 associated with C C stretching and smaller bands at 1050 and 1098 cm-1.
Isopropanol displayed characteristic peaks at 820 cm-1 954 cm-1 and 1454 cm-1 while acetonitrile and toluene showed unique bands at 921 cm-1 and 1001 and 1032 cm-1 respectively.
A challenge matrix confirmed high selectivity with pass rates above 95 percent on the diagonal and rejection rates below 10 percent off diagonal.

Benefits and Practical Applications

The noninvasive through bottle test eliminates the need to open containers reducing contamination risks and speeding material release.
Fast analysis time of under 35 seconds per sample supports high throughput in warehouse and QC environments.
The clear pass fail output simplifies decision making for operators with minimal training.

Future Trends and Applications

Integration of handheld spectrometers within digital inventory management systems for real time raw material tracking.
Expansion of SORS methods to additional container types and a broader range of solvent classes and other raw materials.
Development of automated cloud based libraries and machine learning algorithms to further enhance selectivity and predictive capabilities.

Conclusion

The Agilent Vaya handheld Raman spectrometer demonstrated reliable identification of key solvents through amber bottles providing rapid pass fail results without sample opening.
This approach enhances raw material quality assurance and supports efficient biopharmaceutical manufacturing workflows.

References

• ICH Q7 Good Manufacturing Practice Guide for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Step 4 November 2000
• Boyaci I H et al A Novel Method for Quantification of Ethanol and Methanol in Distilled Alcoholic Beverages Using Raman Spectroscopy Journal of Raman Spectroscopy 2012
• Picard A et al In Situ Monitoring by Quantitative Raman Spectroscopy of Alcoholic Fermentation by Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extremophiles 2007
• Jin Z et al All Fiber Raman Biosensor by Combining Reflection and Transmission Mode IEEE Photonics Technology Letters 2018
• Venardou E et al On Line Monitoring of the Hydrolysis of Acetonitrile in Near Critical Water Using Raman Spectroscopy Vibrational Spectroscopy 2004
• Howlett L E Raman Spectra of Benzene and Toluene Nature 1931