Atomic force microscopy studies on two-step nucleation and epitaxial growth

Continues advancement and rapid development of techniques operating at the nanoscale open new opportunities to revise and question commonly accepted nucleation and crystal growth theories. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has been successfully involved in various aspects of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) characterisation including crystal growth, stability of solid dispersions, surface morphology, phase changes and dissolution [1]. Recent studies conducted on proteins crystallisation at nanoscale show new evidence disproving generally accepted Classical Nuclea/on Theory (CNT)[2]. Currently, ‘dense liquid droplets’ seen in protein crystallisation and ‘pre-nucleation clusters’ [3] seen mostly in inorganic salt crystallisation, are two main concepts of non-classical nucleation theory, although no significant progress has been made towards better understanding of mechanisms controlling heterogeneous nucleation in small organic molecules systems, what is in particular interest, as an epitaxial ordering phenomenon is frequently used to enhance nucleation rates and control properties of materials. Our studies present a new light on heteronucleation and the epitaxial growth mechanisms based epitaxial growth of olanzapine dihydrate D on the surface of olanzapine form I (OZPN I) both in high humidity conditions and water solu*on. Results obtained from Peak Force Quan/ta/ve Nanomechanical Mapping Atomic Force Microscopy (PF- QNM-AFM) [4] indicate the presence of intermediate dense liquid-like phase in process of dihydrate D nucleation

Do metastable polymorphs always grow faster? Measuring and comparing growth kinetics of three polymorphs of tolfenamic acid

The phenomenon of molecular crystal polymorphism is of central importance for all those industries that rely on crystallisation for the manufacturing of their products. Computational methods for the evaluation of thermodynamic properties of polymorphs have become incredibly accurate and a priori prediction of crystal structures is becoming routine. The computational study and prediction of the kinetics of crystallisation impacting polymorphism, however, have received considerably less attention despite their crucial role in directing crystallisation outcomes. This is mainly due to the lack of available experimental data, as nucleation and growth kinetics of polymorphs are generally difficult to measure. On the one hand, the determination of overall nucleation and growth kinetics through batch experiments suffers from unwanted polymorphic transformations or the absence of experimental conditions under which several polymorphs can be nucleated. On the other hand, growth rates of polymorphs obtained from measurements of single crystals are often only recorded along a few specific crystal dimensions, thus lacking information about overall growth and rendering an incomplete picture of the problem. In this work, we measure the crystal growth kinetics of three polymorphs (I, II and IX) of tolfenamic acid (TFA) in isopropanol solutions, with the intention of providing a meaningful comparison of their growth rates. First, we analyse the relation between the measured growth rates and the crystal structures of the TFA polymorphs. We then explore ways to compare their relative growth rates and discuss their significance when trying to determine which polymorph grows faster. Using approximations for describing the volume of TFA crystals, we show that while crystals of the metastable TFA-II grow the fastest at all solution concentrations, crystals of the metastable TFA-IX become kinetically competitive as the driving force for crystallisation increases. Overall, both metastable forms TFA-II and TFA-IX grow faster than the stable TFA-I

A random forest model for predicting crystal packing of olanzapine solvates

A random forest model obtained from calculated physicochemical properties of solvents and observed crystallised structures of olanzapine has for the first time enabled the prediction of different types of 3-dimensional crystal packings of olanzapine solvates. A novel olanzapine solvate was obtained by targeted crystallization from the solvent identified by the random forest classification model. The model identified van der Waals volume, number of covalent bonds and polarisability of the solvent molecules as key contributors to the 3-D crystal packing type of the solvate

A Prolific Solvate Former, Galunisertib, under the Pressure of Crystal Structure Prediction, Produces Ten Diverse Polymorphs

The solid form screening of galunisertib produced many solvates, prompting an extensive investigation into possible risks to the development of the favored monohydrate form. Inspired by crystal structure prediction, the search for neat polymorphs was expanded to an unusual range of experiments, including melt crystallization under pressure, to work around solvate formation and the thermal instability of the molecule. Ten polymorphs of galunisertib were found; however, the structure predicted to be the most stable has yet to be obtained. We present the crystal structures of all ten unsolvated polymorphs of galunisertib, showing how state-of-the-art characterization methods can be combined with emerging computational modeling techniques to produce a complete structure landscape and assess the risk of late-appearing, more stable polymorphs. The exceptional conformational polymorphism of this prolific solvate former invites further development of methods, computational and experimental, that are applicable to larger, flexible molecules with complex solid form landscapes

Facts and fictions about polymorphism

We present new facts and correct old fictions about polymorphism in molecular crystals.</p

Do metastable polymorphs always grow faster? Measuring and comparing growth kinetics of three polymorphs of tolfenamic acid

Acknowledgements: Pietro Sacchi would like to thank Eli Lilly and Company for funding, and Dr Thomas Vetter and Dr Alexandru Moldovan for helpful discussions.The crystal growth rates of three polymorphs of tolfenamic acid in isopropanol solutions are measured and compared to explore the relation between crystallisation kinetics and polymorph appearance.</jats:p

Supersaturation Potential of Salt, Co-Crystal, and Amorphous Forms of a Model Weak Base

High energy solids, such as salts, co-crystals, or amorphous solid dispersions, have been widely used to generate supersaturated aqueous solutions and improve drug bioavailability. However, most research on solubility enhancing strategies has focused on the kinetics of dissolution, and there is relatively little comparison of the different degrees of supersaturation achieved by using different solid state forms of the same compound. Recent studies from our group have demonstrated that the maximum achievable supersaturation is dictated by the aqueous solubility of the amorphous form of the drug. Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) occurs at concentrations above this value. Herein, it was hypothesized that the upper limit of supersaturation that can be achieved from dissolution of various high energy solids is also governed by the amorphous solubility. To test this hypothesis, the dissolution and supersaturation behavior of different solid forms of a model compound, CRH1, were investigated using a variety of techniques. With the exception of CRH1 crystalline free base, all solid forms generated supersaturated solutions. The extent of supersaturation, onset of crystallization time, and area under the curve increased significantly when a polymer with crystallization inhibitory properties was present in the dissolution medium or incorporated in the formulation (in the case of amorphous solid dispersions). In the presence of the polymeric crystallization inhibitor, several solid state forms, including the amorphous solid dispersion and the salts, dissolved to concentrations above the amorphous free form solubility and underwent LLPS, generating a drug-rich phase. Other solid state forms underwent crystallization prior to attaining the amorphous solubility and showed no evidence of LLPS (co-crystal and glass forms). These studies should aid in solid state form selection and formulation and help to understand how to achieve maximized supersaturation in vivo