No / This communication reports a novel solvent free method to generate and stabilise the triclinic form of artemisinin. We show that the stability of the triclinic form obtained by high temperature extrusion is greater than that of material made using a solvent based technique.

The importance of studying the physico-chemical properties of nano-dimensional materials has gained significant attention in the fields of semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, materials science, and atmospheric chemistry owing to the differences in physical properties between macro- and nano-dimensional solids. Nonetheless, direct studies of physical properties of materials at nanoscale is limited in part due to their inherent size constraints and experimental limitations. However, development of atomic force microscopy (AFM) led to the implementation of methods to characterize a wide range of physical properties, including – but not limited to – mechanical properties, electrical properties, viscoelastic properties, and surface tension. Herein, the dissertation focuses on AFM-based method development for characterization of atmospheric particles as well as understanding the relationship between structure and physical properties of organic solids at both macro- and nano-dimensions. In the atmospheric chemistry realm, the combined aerosol effect on the climate and environment has significant uncertainty in part due to lack of direct characterization of their physico-chemical properties. The difficulty in assessing the physical and chemical properties arises due to the presence of diversified aerosol sources, which in turn influences the size, morphology, phase states and chemical compositions. Sea spray aerosols (SSAs) are the second-largest source of aerosols in the atmosphere. Studying SSAs – especially in submicrometer-dimensions – requires high-resolution microscopy techniques such as AFM. AFM can be used for imaging of individual aerosols, quantifying organic volume fraction for core-shell morphologies, measuring water uptake, quantifying surface tension of individual droplets, and measuring mechanical and viscoelastic properties of materials. Herein, we employed AFM-based morphology and force spectroscopy studies to correlate the 3D morphology, phase state, and viscoelastic properties of selected single-component chemical systems found in sea spray aerosol (SSA). We established a quantitative framework toward differentiation of the solid, semisolid and liquid phase states of individual particles by utilizing both relative indentation depth (RID) and viscoelastic response distance (VRD) data obtained from the force−distance plots. Moreover, we established a semi-quantitative and quick phase assessment by measuring the aspect ratio (AR) that refers the extent of particle spreading as a result of impaction. Overall, the established AFM-based quantitative and semi-quantitative phase identification method can be utilized to assess the phases of aerosols irrespective of chemical identity. Next, we investigated the factors that may control the electrical and mechanical properties of pharmaceutical and organic semiconducting materials in nano- and macro-dimensions. Understanding the structure-property relationship of materials, especially in the nano-dimension, is necessary for proper drug design and development of organic semiconducting materials. In this context, cocrystals provide a means to modulate the physico-chemical properties of organic solids. For example, the modulation of the mechanical properties is important in the pharmaceutical industry for improving the tabletability. The mechanical properties may be affected by packing arrangement, interaction strength and type, and atomic and chemical composition. Herein, we report the influence of alkane and alkene functional groups on the mechanical properties of organic solids based on salicylic acid (SA). The approach affords both isostructural and polymorphic solids. The isostructural alkane functional solid exhibits a two-fold larger Young’s modulus (YM) compared to the cocrystal with the alkene, where the YM refers to the stiffness of the material. Here, the higher YM values are attributed to the presence of a bifurcated weak C-H···O interactions involving the alkane and neighboring SA molecules. On the other hand, in the case of alkene polymorphisms, molecular packing with column arrangement shows higher YM values compared to the herringbone arrangements. Thus, functional groups and crystal arrangements influence the stiffness of the solid organic cocrystals. Moreover, we report the modulation of mechanical properties of salicylic acid (SA) through cocrystallization by variation of propane and butane functionality with bipyridine coformers. We show that the variation of propane and butane functionality in bipyridine coformer with salicylic acid leads to synthesis of cocrystal and salt-cocrystal, respectively. The AFM nanoindentation study revealed that the Young’s modulus values follow the order salicylic acid < cocrystal << salt-cocrystal. The highest Young’s modulus values of the salt-cocrystal, among the studied systems, are attributed to the presence of strong N+–H···O– and O–H···O– interactions. On the other hand, higher Young’s modulus values of the propane-based cocrystal compared to the macro-dimensional salicylic acid are attributed to the stronger O–H ···N hydrogen bonding. Thus, homologous alkane functional groups can influence the mechanical properties of the organic solid crystals. Additionally, in situ solid-solid polymorphic phase transformation and nucleation of a metastable and elusive polymorph of SA cocrystals in combination with 4,4’-bipyridine were studied. Understanding the solid-solid phase transformations and nucleation mechanisms are important for proper control over the parameters associated with the synthesis of targeted crystalline solids with desired crystal structure. Using in situ powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and terahertz time domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) data we showed that the Form II polymorph transforms to Form I over time. AFM imaging and nanoindentation techniques were utilized to follow and quantify in real-time the solid-solid polymorphic transformation of the metastable Form II to the thermodynamically stable Form I on a single crystal basis. AFM in situ single crystal data revealed that the metastable Form II has a rod-shaped morphology and relatively high elasticity (Young’s modulus), which transforms to prism-shaped nanocrystals of much smaller sizes with significantly reduced elasticity. The AFM imaging reveals that the single crystals on the order of 80-150 nm to undergo catastrophic changes in morphology that are consistent with cracking and popping owing to a release of mechanical stress during the transformation. The nucleation mechanism for the polymorphic transformation is not spatially localized and occurs over the entire crystal surface. The higher mechanical properties of the metastable Form II is due to the presence of the additional interlayer C-H···O interactions. Furthermore, we have studied the electrical properties of boron-based cocrystals. More specifically, cocrystallization of a nonconductive 2,4-difluorophenylboronic ester catechol adduct of a 4,4’-bipyridine (BEA) host with two aromatic semiconducting guests (pyrene and tetrathiafulvalene) generated conductive cocrystals with variable charge carrier mobilities. Charge carrier mobilities of the cocrystals with either pyrene or tetrathiafulvalene were measured using conducting probe AFM (CP-AFM). The incorporation of π-rich aromatic guests through face-to-face and edge-to-face π-contacts results in electrically conductive cocrystals. The cocrystal with tetrathiafulvalene as a guest shows approximately 7 times higher charge carrier mobility than the cocrystal with pyrene. Overall, the current dissertation demonstrates the AFM-based method development and applications towards materials characterization to measure the morphological, electrical, mechanical, and phase-states at both nano- and macro-dimensions. The high spatial precision of the methods developed enables us to better understand the controlling factors for materials design and processing across nano- and macro-dimensions.

Yes / Despite the rising interest in pharmaceutical cocrystals in the past decade, there is a lack of research in the solid processing of cocrystals downstream to crystallization. Mechanical stress induced by unit operations such as milling could affect the integrity of the material. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of milling on pharmaceutical cocrystal and compare the performance of ball mill and jet mill, using caffeine-glutaric acid (1:1) cocrystal as the model compound. Our results show that ball milling induced polymorphic transformation from the stable Form II to the metastable Form I; whereas Form II remained intact after jet milling. Jet milling was found to be effective in reducing particle size but ball milling was unable to reduce the particle beyond certain limit even with increasing milling intensity. Heating effect during ball milling was proposed as a possible explanation for the difference in the performance of the two types of mill. The local increase in temperature beyond the polymorphic transformation temperature may lead to the conversion from stable to metastable form. At longer ball milling duration, the local temperature could exceed the melting point of Form I, leading to surface melting and subsequent recrystallization of Form I from the melt and agglomeration of the crystals. The findings in this study have broader implications on the selection of mill and interpretation of milling results for not only pharmaceutical cocrystals but pharmaceutical compounds in general.

No / Knowledge and control of the polymorphic phases of chemical compounds are important aspects of drug development in the pharmaceutical industry. Salmeterol xinafoate, a long acting β-adrenergic receptor agonist, exists in two polymorphic Forms, I and II. Raman and near infrared spectra were obtained of these polymorphs at selected wavelengths in the range of 488–1064 nm; significant differences in the Raman and near-infrared spectra were apparent and key spectral marker bands have been identified for the vibrational spectro-scopic characterisation of the individual polymorphs which were also characterised with X ray diffractometry. The solid-state transition of salmeterol xinafoate polymorphs was studied using simultaneous in situ portable Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry isothermally between transitions. This method assisted in the unambiguous characterisation of the two polymorphic forms by providing a simultaneous probe of both the thermal and vibrational data. The study demonstrates the value of a rapid in situ analysis of a drug polymorph which can be of potential value for at-line in-process control.

Deposition of dispersed phase from flowing dispersions onto a substrate surface is of utmost relevance for various industrial processes like fouling of sparingly soluble salts, such as CaCO3 and CaSO4 in heat exchangers and desalination evaporators which tend to form deposits on flow surfaces of tubes or pipelines conveying hard water and in water filtration and purification processes since concentration of CaCO3 in many natural water resources is equal to or greater than the saturation level. The study of deposition is also of intrinsic interest for biophysics and colloid science where vascular calcification i.e. precipitation and deposition of calcium phosphates (hydroxyapatites) in the muscular layer of the blood reduces arterial compliance and promotes congestive heart failure. Experiments were conducted on straight, circular cross section silica tubing of inner di-ameter (ranging from 0.88 mm to3.40 mm) to study the effect of electrostatic interaction and hydrodynamics on the deposition behavior of CaCO3 on silica surface when streams of aqueous solutions of Ca(NO3)2 and Na2CO3 with a concentration of 40.0 g l−1 and 25.9gl−1 respectively flowing at a volumetric flow rate of 1 l h−1 each is mixed to form CaCO3 dispersion which was then transported through silica tubing at a steady volumetric flow rate of 2lh−1. The in situ phenomenology of CaCO3 particles transport, deposition, and evolution of spatial and temporal patterns of the CaCO3 deposition on the silica surface along with the dendritic growth of CaCO3 during the flow was visually documented with the aid of a 100X optical microscope. The study discussed the deposition behavior of dispersed phase of CaCO3 from its aqueous dispersion on the silica tubing during flow and attributed charge inversion from negative to positive of silica surface, due to the adsorption of Na+ formed during precipitation reaction of CaCO3, as a plausible reason for the reversal of electrostatic interaction from attraction between initially negatively charged silica surface and positively charged CaCO3 particles which promoted deposition and subsequent evolution of patterns of CaCO3 deposition on the silica surface during the early stage of experiments to repulsion between finally net positively charged silica surface and positively charged CaCO3 particles which resulted in retarded deposition and subsequent emergence of sparsely adhered CaCO3 agglomerates as localized, limited patches of CaCO3 deposits on the silica surface during the later stage of the experiments

Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / Neste estudo foram preparados polimorfos do fármaco tolbutamida, um hipoglicemiante oral usado no tratamento dos Diabetes Mellitus tipo II. Foram também preparados polimorfos da nifedipina, fármaco usado no tratamento das desordens cardiovasculares, como angina pectoris e hipertensão. A preparação dos polimorfos foi mediada por solvente, ou seja, foi em função do solvente usado nas etapas de cristalização e de precipitação das espécies. Um método de resfriamento rápido por nitrogênio líquido também foi utilizado. Técnicas analíticas como a espectrofotometria de infravermelho, a calorimetria diferencial de varredura, a difratometria de raio-X e a microscopia eletrônica de varredura foram úteis para a caracterização dos produtos obtidos experimentalmente. Os resultados comprovaram que dois polimorfos da tolbutamida foram preparados, ambos com estrutura cristalina. No caso da nifedipina, dois polimorfos foram preparados e a caracterização mostrou que um destes foi obtido num estado amorfo enquanto o outro estava sob forma cristalina. A instabilidade da nifedipina no estado amorfo foi monitorada pela técnica de calorimetria diferencial de varredura que, através de diferentes curvas, mostrou uma transformação rápida para uma estrutura cristalina. Esta mesma técnica aliada à termogravimetria confirmou a obtenção de um terceiro produto da nifedipina, de estrutura cristalina, que foi considerado um pseudopolimorfo por ser uma espécie solvatada. Ao final do procedimento experimental e da avaliação dos resultados foi sugerido um esquema, passo a passo, para obtenção e caracterização de polimorfos de uma substância / In this study the polymorphs of tolbutamide, an oral hypoglicemiant used on Diabetes Mellitus type II treatment, and of nifedipine, a drug used in the cardiovascular disorders treatment, were prepared. All crystalline forms were obtained by crystallization from different solvents. Tolbutamide was isolated only in crystalline forms and nifedipine in two crystalline forms and in the amorphous form prepared by melting and subsequent cooling. The polymorphs from each drug were characterized by powder x-ray diffraction (PDRX), infrared spectroscopy (IR), Raman spectroscopy (FT-RAMAN), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results proved that two different crystalline forms of tolbutamide were obtained and two crystalline form to nifedipine, one of them as a pseudo-polymorph. The characterization confirmed that melting and quickly cooling procedure prepared amorphous nifedipine. Differential scanning calorimetry technique generated curves whose data proved that the amorphous nifedipine is a very unstable form. Thermogravimetry confirmed a pseudo-polymorphs preparation of nifedipine. In spite of the modification observed on the profile of X-ray diffraction, because of the solvent present, was possible to prove that this solvated form have an crystalline structure. A methodology was proposed step by step to prepare and characterize polymorphs of a substance

This work concerns the interrelationship between thermodynamic, kinetic and structural aspects of crystal polymorphism. It is both experimental and theoretical, and limited with respect to compounds to substituted monocyclic aromatics. Two polymorphs of the compound m-aminobenzoic acid have been experimentally isolated and characterized by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and optical microscopy. In addition, two polymorphs of the compound m-hydroxybenzoic acid have been isolated and characterized by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, high-temperature XRPD, confocal Raman, hot-stage and scanning electron microscopy. For all polymorphs, melting properties and specific heat capacity have been determined calorimetrically, and the solubility in several pure solvents measured at different temperatures with a gravimetric method. The solid-state activity (ideal solubility), and the free energy, enthalpy and entropy of fusion have been determined as functions of temperature for all solid phases through a thermodynamic analysis of multiple experimental data. It is shown that m-aminobenzoic acid is an enantiotropic system, with a stability transition point determined to be located at approximately 156°C, and that the difference in free energy at room temperature between the polymorphs is considerable. It is further shown that m-hydroxybenzoic acid is a monotropic system, with minor differences in free energy, enthalpy and entropy. 1393 primary nucleation experiments have been carried out for both compounds in different series of repeatability experiments, differing with respect to solvent, cooling rate, saturation temperature and solution preparation and pre-treatment. It is found that in the vast majority of experiments, either the stable or the metastable polymorph is obtained in the pure form, and only for a few evaluated experimental conditions does one polymorph crystallize in all experiments. The fact that the polymorphic outcome of a crystallization is the result of the interplay between relative thermodynamic stability and nucleation kinetics, and that it is vital to perform multiple experiments under identical conditions when studying nucleation of polymorphic compounds, is strongly emphasized by the results of this work. The main experimental variable which in this work has been found to affect which polymorph will preferentially crystallize is the solvent. For m-aminobenzoic acid, it is shown how a significantly metastable polymorph can be obtained by choosing a solvent in which nucleation of the stable form is sufficiently obstructed. For m-hydroxybenzoic acid, nucleation of the stable polymorph is promoted in solvents where the solubility is high. It is shown how this partly can be rationalized by analysing solubility data with respect to temperature dependence. By crystallizing solutions differing only with respect to pre-treatment and which polymorph was dissolved, it is found that the immediate thermal and structural history of a solution can have a significant effect on nucleation, affecting the predisposition for overall nucleation as well as which polymorph will preferentially crystallize. A set of polymorphic crystal structures has been compiled from the Cambridge Structural Database. It is found that statistically, about 50% crystallize in the crystallographic space group P21/c. Furthermore, it is found that crystal structures of polymorphs tend to differ significantly with respect to either hydrogen bond network or molecular conformation. Molecular mechanics based Monte Carlo simulated annealing has been used to sample different potential crystal structures corresponding to minima in potential energy with respect to structural degrees of freedom, restricted to one space group, for each of the polymorphic compounds. It is found that all simulations result in very large numbers of predicted structures. About 15% of the predicted structures have excess relative lattice energies of &lt;=10% compared to the most stable predicted structure; a limit verified to reflect maximum lattice energy differences between experimentally observed polymorphs of similar compounds. The number of predicted structures is found to correlate to molecular weight and to the number of rotatable covalent bonds. A close study of two compounds has shown that predicted structures tend to belong to different groups defined by unique hydrogen bond networks, located in well-defined regions in energy/packing space according to the close-packing principle. It is hypothesized that kinetic effects in combination with this structural segregation might affect the number of potential structures that can be realized experimentally. The experimentally determined crystal structures of several compounds have been geometry-optimized (relaxed) to the nearest potential energy minimum using ten different combinations of common potential energy functions (force fields) and techniques for assigning nucleus-centred point charges used in the electrostatic description of the energy. Changes in structural coordinates upon relaxation have been quantified, crystal lattice energies calculated and compared with experimentally determined enthalpies of sublimation, and the energy difference before and after relaxation computed and analysed. It is found that certain combinations of force fields and charge assignment techniques work reasonably well for modelling crystal structures of small aromatics, provided that proper attention is paid to electrostatic description and to how the force field was parameterized. A comparison of energy differences for randomly packed as well as experimentally determined crystal structures before and after relaxation suggests that the potential energy function for the solid state of a small organic molecule is highly undulating with many deep, narrow and steep minima. / QC 20110527