Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a thermoanalytical technique that measures the difference in heat flow to a sample and to an inert reference as both are subjected to a controlled temperature programme. As the sample is heated, cooled, or held isothermally, transitions that absorb or release energy registe…
Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a thermoanalytical technique that measures the difference in heat flow to a sample and to an inert reference as both are subjected to a controlled temperature programme. As the sample is heated, cooled, or held isothermally, transitions that absorb or release energy register as endothermic or exothermic deviations, allowing the technique to detect and quantify thermal events and the temperatures and enthalpies associated with them. DSC characterises phenomena such as melting and crystallisation, glass transitions, polymorphic transformations, dehydration, decomposition, and the denaturation of biomolecules, and it yields parameters including transition temperatures, heat capacity changes, and enthalpy. Because these signatures are sensitive to composition, crystal structure, purity, and physical state, DSC is widely used to assess the thermal behaviour and stability of materials, pharmaceuticals, polymers, and biological substances such as proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates, and to study lipid assemblies and other formulations. It is frequently applied alongside complementary spectroscopic and structural methods to build a fuller picture of the physicochemical and thermal properties of a compound, and to evaluate how processing or treatment alters those properties. Robust DSC measurement depends on careful calibration, defined heating rates, and controlled sample handling. As a versatile and quantitative probe of energy changes with temperature, DSC is a standard tool across materials science, chemistry, pharmaceutics, and the biological sciences.
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