CMAC National Facility - X-Ray Diffraction and Solid-State Characterisation
Definitive structural insight to de-risk development
Unanswered solid-state questions pose risks for pharmaceutical developers and materials researchers. They can slow down decisions, complicate formulations and weaken regulatory confidence.
WHAT SETS US APART
A complete solid-state landscape in one place
Our integrated analytical and experimental environment maps the entire solid-state landscape — from single crystals to amorphous materials.
Expert-led, problem-focused studies
Our crystallographers and solid-state specialists connect structure, stability, transitions and microstructure directly to product performance.
ANALYTICAL PLATFORMS
Five platforms. One integrated facility.
PXRD - Powder X-Ray Diffraction
Phase ID & Quantitative Analysis: Identify what's in your sample, and how much. Gold standard for determining and quantifying crystalline phases.
Variable Temperature & Humidity: Monitor polymorphic transitions, hydrate formation, desolvation and thermal phase changes under controlled real-world conditions.
Ab Initio Structure Solution: Solve crystal structures directly from powder data — our rare, specialist capability. Also supports high-throughput screening using multi-well plates.
Reflection & transmission (capillary, Cu Kα₁) · In situ T, humidity, gas & vacuum · High-throughput multi-well plates.
Nano-CT - X-Ray Nano Computed Tomography
Non-destructive 3D Imaging: Visualise internal structure without sample preparation. Reveals pores, inclusions, cracks and phase distributions in pharmaceuticals, composites and devices.
Bruker SkyScan 2214 · ~300–500 nm resolution · In situ heating, cooling & mechanical testing · Multiscale analysis.
SCXRD - Single crystal X-Ray Diffraction
Full Structural Solutions: Complete 3D structure determination for small molecules, salts, cocrystals, solvates and polymorphs. Cu and Mo sources; temperature control 80–400 K.
High Pressure Diffraction: Diamond anvil cells (ambient – 10 GPa) reveal new polymorphs, phase transitions and structural changes under compression.
Cu & Mo X-ray sources · Temperature control (80–400 K) · In situ high pressure (diamond anvil cell; ambient – 10 GPa).
SAXS/WAXS - Small and Wide Angle X-Ray Scattering
Nanostructure & Hierarchical Analysis: Quantitative particle size, shape and internal organisation across 0.1–100 nm. Simultaneous SAXS and WAXS for hierarchical structural analysis.
Xenocs Xeuss 2.0 · In situ T, humidity, shear/flow · Nanoparticle & polymer characterisation · Extended q-range.
xPDF - X-Ray Pair Distribution Function
Local Structure & Amorphous Materials: Reveals short-range order in crystalline, nanocrystalline and amorphous pharmaceutical materials — powerful for poorly crystalline phases inaccessible by conventional PXRD.
Mo-source · Wide Q-range · Variable temperature (80–500 K) · Probes amorphous–crystalline transitions.
Not sure which platform you need?
Our experts will advise on the best approach for your question and material.
APPLICATIONS AND IMPACT
Our analytical suite supports
Solid-form selection, polymorph control and stability studies
Structure–performance relationships
Nanostructure and microstructure evaluation
Drug product development
Amorphous and poorly crystalline materials
Materials research in pharmaceuticals and beyond
Ready to collaborate?
Whether you're exploring new drug products or solving complex process challenges, we are here to help.
CMAC has achieved two Silver and one Bronze level certifications for integrating sustainable practices in its lab operations.
What sets us apart
Structure solution from powder data - a rare capability
Structure determination from powder X‑Ray diffraction data is a highly specialised capability, available at only a small number of facilities worldwide.
At CMAC, we routinely solve structures directly from powder data, supporting development programmes where single‑crystal material cannot be obtained or where timelines don’t allow repeated crystallisation attempts.
This allows you to:
Resolve ambiguous solid forms with confidence
Support patent, IP and regulatory arguments
Advance development without dependency on crystal growth
Reduce uncertainty in solid‑state risk assessments
This capability is particularly valuable in early‑stage pharmaceutical development, where material is limited and decisions are time‑critical.
Core capabilities:
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Identify what’s in your sample, and how much.
Powder X-Ray diffraction is the gold standard for determining crystalline phases in complex materials. By matching diffraction patterns against extensive reference databases, we rapidly identify the phases present and quantify their relative proportions.
These capabilities support troubleshooting manufacturing issues, monitoring crystallisation outcomes, verifying product consistency and analysing unknown materials.
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Understand how your materials respond to real-world conditions.
Using controlled temperature and humidity diffraction experiments, we monitor structural transformations including polymorphic transitions, hydrate formation, desolvation and thermal phase changes.
These measurements provide critical insight into material stability under realistic storage and processing conditions, supporting form stability assessment, identifying transformation pathways and informing formulation and manufacturing strategies.
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Get complete crystal structures - even without crystals.
We provide full three-dimensional structure determination using state-of-the-art single-crystal and powder X-Ray diffraction. When suitable single crystals cannot be obtained, advanced computational methods allow us to solve structures directly from high-quality powder data.
This capability spans small molecules, salts, cocrystals, solvates, hydrates and complex multi-component systems. Structural insight enables confident polymorph identification, understanding of hydrogen-bonding networks and molecular packing, and interpretation of physicochemical properties, supporting pharmaceutical development, materials research and regulatory documentation.
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Visualise internal structure without sample preparation.
X-Ray microscopy and computed tomography provide non-destructive 3D imaging at micron-scale resolution, revealing pores, inclusions, cracks and phase distributions all without altering your sample.
This technique offers insight into particle morphology, internal architecture and structural heterogeneity across pharmaceutical, advanced materials and device applications. Combined with diffraction-based methods, it links 3D microstructure to crystallographic and compositional data to give you a full picture of your material from the inside out.
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Explore structural behaviour under extreme conditions.
High-pressure X-Ray diffraction reveals how materials respond to compression, uncovering new polymorphs, phase transitions and pressure-driven structural changes that remain hidden at ambient conditions.
Using diamond anvil cells and other specialised equipment, we access regions of the solid-form landscape that offer unique insight into intermolecular interactions, packing efficiency and structural stability. This capability is particularly valuable for fundamental research and advanced solid-state investigations.