Michael Svärd

Thermodynamics and nucleation of the enantiotropic compound p-aminobenzoic acid

In this work, the thermodynamic interrelationship of the two known polymorphs of p-aminobenzoic acid has been explored, and primary nucleation in different organic solvents investigated. The solubility of both polymorphs in several solvents at different temperatures has been determined and the isobaric solid-state heat capacities have been measured by DSC. The transition temperature below which form α is metastable is estimated to be 16 °C by interpolation of solubility data and the melting temperature of form β is estimated to be 140 °C by extrapolation of solubility data. Using experimental calorimetry and solubility data the thermodynamic stability relationship between the two polymorphs has been estimated at room temperature to the melting point. At the transition temperature, the estimated enthalpy difference between the polymorphs is 2.84 kJ mol−1 and the entropy difference is 9.80 J mol−1 K−1. At the estimated melting point of form β the difference in Gibbs free energy and enthalpy is 1.6 kJ mol−1 and 5.0 kJ mol−1, respectively. It is found that the entropic contribution to the free energy difference is relatively high, which explains the unusually low transition temperature. A total of 330 nucleation experiments have been performed, with constant cooling rate in three different solvents and with different saturation temperatures, and multiple experiments have been carried out for each set of conditions in order to obtain statistically significant results. All performed experiments resulted in the crystallization of the high-temperature stable α-polymorph, which is kinetically favoured under all evaluated experimental conditions. The thermodynamic driving force required for nucleation is found to depend chiefly on the solvent, and to be inversely correlated to both solvent polarity and to solubility.

Solubility and crystal nucleation in organic solvents of two polymorphs of curcumin.

Two crystal polymorphs of 1,7-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione (curcumin) have been obtained by crystallization from ethanol (EtOH) solution. The polymorphs have been characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction and shown to be the previously described forms I and III. The solubility of both polymorphs in EtOH and of one polymorph in ethyl acetate (EA) has been measured between 10°C and 50°C with a gravimetric method. Primary nucleation of curcumin from EtOH solution has been investigated in 520 constant temperature crystallization experiments in sealed, magnetically stirred vials under different conditions of supersaturation, temperature, and agitation rate. By a thermodynamic analysis of the melting data and solubility of form I, the solid-state activity is estimated from 10°C up to the melting point. The solubility is lower in EtOH than in EA, and in both solvents, a positive deviation from Raoults law is observed. Form I has lower solubility than form III and is accordingly thermodynamically more stable over the investigated temperature interval. Extrapolation of solubility regression models indicates that there should be a low-temperature enantiotropic transition point, below which form I will be metastable. By slurry conversion experiments, it is established that this temperature is below -30°C. All nucleation experiments resulted in the stable form I. The induction time is observed to decrease with increasing agitation rate up to a certain point, and then increase with further increasing agitation rate; a trend previously observed for other compounds. By correlating the induction time data obtained at different supersaturation and temperature, the interfacial energy of form I in EtOH is estimated to be 3.0 mJ/m(2) .

Analysis of the structure and morphology of fenoxycarb crystals

In this paper, we have explored the relationship between surface structure and crystal growth and morphology of fenoxycarb (FC). Experimental vs. predicted morphologies/face indices of fenoxycarb crystals are presented. Atomic-scale surface structures of the crystalline particles, derived from experimentally indexed single crystals, are also modelled. Single crystals of fenoxycarb exhibit a platelet-like morphology which closely matches predicted morphologies. The solvent choice does not significantly influence either morphology or crystal habit. The crystal morphology is dominated by the {001} faces, featuring weakly interacting aliphatic or aromatic groups at their surfaces. Two distinct modes of interaction of a FC molecule in the crystal can be observed, which appear to be principal factors governing the microscopic shape of the crystal: the relatively strong collateral and the much weaker perpendicular bonding. Both forcefield-based and quantum-chemical calculations predict that the aromatic and aliphatic terminated {001} faces have comparably high stability as a consequence of weak intermolecular bonding. Thus we predict that the most developed {001} surfaces of fenoxycarb crystals should be terminated randomly, favouring neither aliphatic nor aromatic termination.

Synthesis, crystallisation and thermodynamics of two polymorphs of a new derivative of meglumine: 1-(2,2,3-trimethyl-1,3-oxazolidin-5-yl)-butane-1,2,3,4-tetrol

A new compound, 1-(2,2,3-trimethyl-1,3-oxazolidin-5-yl)-butane-1,2,3,4-tetrol, has been discovered, described, and its crystal polymorphism investigated. The crystal structures of two polymorphs have been solved with single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The molecule is chiral with four stereo centers, and both polymorphs crystallise in the non-centrosymmetric orthorhombic, chiral P212121 space group, with one molecule in the asymmetric unit. In both structures the molecules are arranged three dimensionally in an interlocked manner, stabilized by strong O–H⋯O and weaker C–H⋯O and π⋯π interactions. The polymorphs have been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and infrared spectroscopy (IR). The thermodynamic stability relationship between the polymorphs from 280 K up to the melting points has been quantitatively determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), through measurement of melting points, heats of fusion, and heat capacities of the solid phases and the supercooled melt. It is established that the relationship is most likely monotropic, with one polymorph (FI) stable throughout the entire evaluated temperature range. The stability relationship at room temperature has been confirmed by a slurry conversion experiment.

4-Amino­phenyl­acetic acid

This thesis deals with the controlled crystallization of small organic molecules and is focused on solubility and polymorphism. The solubility was determined for phenylacetic acid, p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, p-aminophenylacetic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and ibuprofen in both water and in a range of organic solvents. Data is discussed from the standpoint of molecular aspects of solute – solvent interactions and by estimated solid phase activity. It was shown that better understanding could be acquired by making a qualitative analysis of the molecular interactions in the solution and the crystal structure of the compounds in question. Solubility predictions that are carried out by the UNIFAC method are not sufficiently accurate to serve as a basis for a reliable design of a crystallization process or selection of a suitable solvent since they deviate more than 15% from experimental values. The reason for the discrepancies are related to uncertainties in the prediction of activity coefficients by UNIFAC, as well as, difficulties in the estimation of the activity of the solid state. p-Aminobenzoic acid (PABA) has been crystallized from thirteen different solvents either by slow cooling, after which the product is allowed to mature in suspension, or by rapid cooling followed by immediate isolation. Two different polymorphs have been crystallized. The system is found to be enantiotropic with the transition temperature of 25 °C, below which the β-form is the stable polymorph. The α-form was obtained from all solvents by both methods. The β-form is obtained only in carefully controlled conditions from water and ethyl acetate, well below the transition temperature. Often the α-form appears concomitantly. It is shown in this work that sonication significantly reduces the induction time for nucleation. The β-form crystallizes more reproducibly and at higher cooling rates when controlled sonication is used. In addition sonication is found to selectively favor the appearance of one of the polymorphs. Producing the pure β-form was possible even above the transition temperature where other crystallization techniques were only capable of producing the stable α-form. The α-form structure is based on centro symmetric dimers formed by association of carboxylic acid groups. It is suggested that the preference for nucleation of the α-polymorph is related to the formation of dimers in the supersaturated solution. Only at the condition where the formation of dimers is reduced sufficiently, (i.e. in the polar solvents or when sonication is applied) the nucleation of the β-form is favored.