Contact Details
Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
University of Cambridge
New Museums Site
Pembroke Street
Cambridge, CB2 3RA, UK
Tel.: +44 (0) 1223 334783
Fax: +44 (0) 1223 334796
Email: jaz22@cam.ac.uk
University website
College website
Main Research Interests
Axel’s major research interest is in terahertz spectroscopy and imaging of pharmaceutical solids. Over the last few years he has systematically started to investigate how properties of drug materials can be characterised by terahertz (1 THz = 1012 Hz) radiation, a part of the electromagnetic spectrum between microwaves and infrared radiation that was only recently exploited.
Terahertz radiation has the important property that it interacts with vibrational modes that extend across large domains of a crystal lattice. This makes terahertz spectroscopy unique: even though it is possible to excite molecules using a variety of energies it is only through the careful selection of the low energy in the terahertz range that it is possible to selectively excite crystal lattice vibrations and study in a unique way the presence and nature of interactions between molecules. Besides its application for spectroscopy, terahertz light can also be used for imaging. Axel has been exploring potential applications of terahertz imaging for different types of tablet coatings, controlled release tablets and capsules.
Short CV
Professor Axel Zeitler is the Professor of Microstructure Engineering at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge where he leads the Terahertz Applications Group. In addition he is a Fellow at Gonville & Caius College where he was a Research Fellow prior to his university appointment in 2010 and where he now also holds a College Lecturership in Chemical Engineering as well as in Chemistry. In 2007 Dr Zeitler completed his PhD at the School of Pharmacy, University of Otago, New Zealand following his undergraduate degree at the University of Würzburg, Germany. He previously held research positions at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, UK and TeraView Ltd.
