DSC and adiabatic calorimetry study of the polymorphs of paracetamol

Monoclinic (I) and orthorhombic (II) polymorphs of paracetamol were studied by DSC and adiabatic calorimetry in the temperature range 5 - 450 K. At all the stages of the study, the samples (single crystals and powders) were characterized using X-ray diffraction. A single crystal → polycrystal II→ I transformation was observed on heating polymorph II, after which polymorph I melted at 442 K. The previously reported fact that the two polymorphs melt at different temperatures could not be confirmed. The temperature of the II→I transformation varied from crystal to crystal. On cooling the crystals of paracetamol II from ambient temperature to 5 K, a II→ I transformation was also observed, if the 'cooling-heating' cycles were repeated several times. Inclusions of solvent (water) into the starting crystals were shown to be important for this transformation. The values of the low-temperature heat-capacity of the I and II polymorphs of paracetamol were compared, and the thermodynamic functions calculated for the two polymorphs. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Crystal growth of aragonite and calcite in presence of citric acid, DTPA, EDTA and pyromellitic acid

The influence of four calcium complexing substances, i.e., citric acid (CIT), diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and pyromellitic acid (PMA), on the crystal growth rate of the calcium carbonate polymorphs aragonite and calcite has been studied. Using a seeded constant supersaturation method supersaturation was maintained at 4 by keeping a constant pH of 8.5 through addition of sodium carbonate and calcium chloride solutions. The unique composition of each solution was calculated using chemical speciation. The growth rate was interpreted in terms of an overall growth rate. For both calcite and aragonite, the crystal growth rate is significantly reduced in the presence of the calcium complexing substances. The growth retarding effect depends on both the concentration and the polymorph. The relative crystal growth rate was correlated to the total complexing agent concentration using a Langmuir adsorption approach. Aragonite appeared fully covered for lower total concentrations than calcite. Furthermore, CIT very efficiently blocked aragonite growth contrary to what was observed for calcite. This is thought to be related to certain distinct features of the dominant aragonite crystal faces compared to the dominant calcite faces.     

Crystal polymorphs of 6‐[(phenylcarbamoyl)oxy]hexa‐2,4‐diyn‐1‐yl isonicotinate

The title compound, C₁₉H₁₄N₂O₄, was found to have two crystal polymorphs, in which the molecular structures of the diacetylenic compound are broadly similar. The main structural difference between the polymorphs concerns the intermolecular hydrogen‐bonding motifs adopted, namely a one‐dimensional zigzag polymer linked by N—H…N(py) (py is pyridine) interactions in polymorph I and a centrosymmetric dimeric motif formed by N—H…O=C interactions in polymorph II. The diacetylene cores of the molecules stack along the a and b axes in polymorphs I and II, respectively. It was found that only the molecular arrangement in polymorph II satisfies Baughman's criterion to afford polydiacetylenes (PDAs) by thermal annealing or irradiation with light. This predicted polymerization activity was confirmed by experiment.     

Determining the nucleation rate from the dimer growth probability

A new method is proposed for the determination of the stationary one-component nucleation rate J with the help of data for the growth probability P2 of a dimer which is the smallest cluster of the nucleating phase. The method is based on an exact formula relating J and P2, and is readily applicable to computer simulations of nucleation. Using the method, the dependence of J on the supersaturation s is determined by kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of two-dimensional (2D) nucleation of monolayers on the (100) face of Kossel crystal. The change of J over nearly 11 orders of magnitude is followed and it is found that the classical nucleation theory overestimates the simulation J values by an s-dependent factor. The 2D nucleus size evaluated via the nucleation theorem is described satisfactorily by the classical Gibbs-Thomson equation and its corrected version accounting for the spinodal limit of 2D nucleation.     

Polymorphism of phenylpyruvic acid studied by IR, Raman and solid state C NMR spectroscopy

Polymorphs I and II of phenylpyruvic acid are obtained as mixtures of both crystal forms or relatively pure crystals, from different solvents. Polymorph I is more stable than polymorph II at room temperature. Spectral characteristics of these polymorphs are discussed on the basis of IR, Raman and solid state ¹³C NMR spectra. Also, the assignment of the IR features observed in the 1600–1700 cm⁻¹ region is re-investigated by referring to the spectra of heavy-atom substituted derivatives. It is suggested that the C=O stretching band is split by the crystal field for both polymorphs.     

Progress in crystal structure prediction

The results of the application of a density functional theory method incorporating dispersive corrections in the 2010 crystal structure prediction blind test are reported. The method correctly predicted four out of the six experimental structures. Three of the four correct predictions were found to have the lowest lattice energy of any crystal structure for that molecule. The experimental crystal structures for all six compounds were found during the structure generation phase of the simulations, indicating that the tailor-made force fields used for screening structures were valid and that the structure generation engine, which combines a Monte Carlo parallel tempering algorithm with an efficient lattice energy minimiser, was working effectively. For the three compounds for which the experimental crystal structures did not correspond to the lowest energy structures found, the method for calculating the lattice energy needs to be further refined or there may be other polymorphs that have not yet been found experimentally.     

Effect of High Pressure on the Polymorphs of Paracetamol

Effect of hydrostatic pressure on the two (I – monoclinic and II – orthorhombic) polymorphs of paracetamol was studied by X-ray diffraction in the diamond anvil cell at pressures up to 4.5 GPa (for the monoclinic form) and up to 5.5 GPa (for the orthorhombic form). The two groups of phenomena were studied: (i) the anisotropic structural distortion of the same polymorph, (ii) transitions between the polymorphs induced by pressure. The anisotropy of structural distortion of polymorphs I and II was well reproducible from sample to sample, also from powder samples to single crystals. The bulk compressibility of the two forms was shown to be practically the same. However, a noticeable qualitative difference in the anisotropy of structural distortion was observed: with increasing pressure the structure of polymorph II contracted in all the directions showing isotropic compression in the planes of hydrogen-bonded molecular layers, whereas the layers in the structure of the polymorph I expanded in some directions. Maximum compression in both polymorphs I and II was observed in the directions normal to the molecular layers. The transitions between the polymorphs induced by pressure were poorly reproducible and depended strongly on the sample and on the procedure of increasing/decreasing pressure. No phase transitions were induced in the single crystals of the monoclinic polymorph at pressures at least up to 4GPa, although a partial transformation of polymorph I into polymorph II was observed at increased pressure in powder samples. Polymorph II transformed partly into the polymorph I during grinding. The transformation could be hindered if grinding was carried out in CCl₄. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Infrared spectroscopic study of polytypic effects on the crystal-growth mechanism of n-hexatriacontane (n-C36H74)

The solution-crystallization mechanism was investigated for two polytypes in the M011 modification of n-hexatriacontane (n-C36H74), single-layered structure Mon, and double-layered one Orth II. The crystal growth under controlled supersaturation was followed with a micro- Fourier-transform-infrared spectrometer equipped with an optical system for oblique transmission measurements. Supersaturation dependence of growth behavior was significantly different between Mon and Orth II. Although the Mon crystal continued growing at a supersaturation of 0.27, the overgrowth of Orth II on the (001) face of the Mon crystal was confirmed at supersaturations below 0.21. Such a polytypic transformation was not observed for the Orth II crystal at any supersaturation below 0.30. The growth rate of Mon showed a quadratic dependence on supersaturation, while that of Orth II was approximately linear, suggesting spiral growth and two-dimensional-nucleation mechanisms for Mon and Orth II, respectively.     

Polymorph selection during the crystallization of Yukawa systems

Using molecular-dynamics simulations, we study the crystallization of supercooled liquids of charge-stabilized colloidal suspensions, modeled by the Yukawa (screened-Coulomb) potential. By modifying the value of the screening parameter lambda, we are able to invert the stability of the body-centered cubic (bcc) and face-centered cubic (fcc) polymorphs and study the crystal nucleation and growth in the domain of stability of each polymorph. We show that the crystallization mechanism strongly depends on the value of lambda. When bcc is the stable polymorph (lambda=3), the crystallization mechanism is straightforward. Both kinetics and thermodynamics favor the formation of the bcc particles and polymorph selection takes place early during the nucleation step. When fcc is the stable polymorph (lambda=10), the molecular mechanism is much more complex. First, kinetics favor the formation of bcc particles during the nucleation step. The growth of the post-critical nucleus proceeds through the successive cross-nucleation of the stable fcc polymorph on the metastable hcp polymorph as well as of the hcp polymorph on the fcc polymorph. As a result, polymorph selection occurs much later, i.e., during the growth step, than for lambda=3. We then extend our findings established in the case of homogeneous crystal nucleation to a situation of practical interest, i.e., when a seed of the stable polymorph is used. We demonstrate that the growth from the (111) face of a perfect fcc crystal into the melt proceeds through the same mechanisms.     

Selective nucleation and discovery of organic polymorphs through epitaxy with single crystal substrates.

Crystallization of 5-methyl-2-[(2-nitrophenyl)amino]-3-thiophenecarbonitrile (1), previously found to produce six conformational polymorphs from solution, on single-crystal pimelic acid (PA) substrates results in selective and oriented growth of the metastable "YN" (yellow needle) polymorph on the (101)(PA) faces of the substrate. Though the freshly cleaved substrate crystals expose (101)(PA) and (111)(PA) faces, which are both decorated with [101](PA) ledges that could serve as nucleation sites, crystal growth of YN occurs on only (101)(PA). Goniometry measurements performed with an atomic force microscope reveal that the (001)(YN) plane contacts (101)(PA) with a crystal orientation [100](YN)//[010](PA) and [010](YN)//[101](PA). A geometric lattice analysis using a newly developed program dubbed GRACE (geometric real-space analysis of crystal epitaxy) indicates that this interfacial configuration arises from optimal two-dimensional epitaxy and that among the six polymorphs of 1, only the YN polymorph, in the observed orientation, achieves reasonable epitaxial match to (101)(PA). The geometric analysis also reveals that none of the polymorphs, including YN, can achieve comparable epitaxial match with (111)(PA), consistent with the absence of nucleation on this crystal face. In contrast, sublimation of 1 on cleaved succinic acid (SA) substrates, which expose large (010)(SA) faces decorated with steps along [101](SA), affords growth of several polymorphs, each with multiple orientations, as well as oriented crystals of a new metastable polymorph on the (010)(SA) surfaces. The lack of polymorphic selectivity on (010)(SA) can be explained by the geometric lattice analysis, which reveals low-grade epitaxial matches between (010)(SA) and several polymorphs of 1 but no inherent selectivity toward a single polymorph. These observations demonstrate the sensitivity of crystal nucleation to substrate surface structure, the potential of crystalline substrates for selective nucleation and discovery of polymorphs, and the utility of geometric lattice modeling for screening of substrate libraries for controlling polymorphism.     

Polymorphism in 3‐acetyl‐4‐hydroxy‐2H‐chromen‐2‐one

A new polymorph (denoted polymorph II) of 3‐acetyl‐4‐hydroxy‐2H‐chromen‐2‐one, C₁₁H₈O₄, was obtained unexpectedly during an attempt to recrystallize the compound from salt–melted ice, and the structure is compared with that of the original polymorph (denoted polymorph I) [Lyssenko & Antipin (2001). Russ. Chem. Bull. 50 , 418–431]. Strong intramolecular O—H...O hydrogen bonds are observed equally in the two polymorphs [O...O = 2.4263 (13) Å in polymorph II and 2.442 (1) Å in polymorph I], with a slight delocalization of the hydroxy H atom towards the ketonic O atom in polymorph II [H...O = 1.32 (2) Å in polymorph II and 1.45 (3) Å in polymorph I]. In both crystal structures, the packing of the molecules is dominated and stabilized by weak intermolecular C—H...O hydrogen bonds. Additional π–π stacking interactions between the keto–enol hydrogen‐bonded rings stabilize polymorph I [the centres are separated by 3.28 (1) Å], while polymorph II is stabilized by interactions between α‐pyrone rings, which are parallel to one another and separated by 3.670 (5) Å.     

Polymorphs of the antiviral drug ganciclovir

Ganciclovir (GCV; systematic name: 2‐amino‐9‐{[(1,3‐dihydroxypropan‐2‐yl)oxy]methyl}‐6,9‐dihydro‐1H‐purin‐6‐one), C₉H₁₃N₅O₄, an antiviral drug for treating cytomegalovirus infections, has two known polymorphs (Forms I and II), but only the structure of the metastable Form II has been reported [Kawamura & Hirayama (2009). X‐ray Struct. Anal. Online , 25 , 51–52]. We describe a successful preparation of GCV Form I and its crystal structure. GCV is an achiral molecule in the sense that its individual conformers, which are generally chiral objects, undergo fast interconversion in the liquid state and cannot be isolated. In the crystalline state, GCV exists as two inversion‐related conformers in Form I and as a single chiral conformer in Form II. This situation is similar to that observed for glycine, also an achiral molecule, whose α‐polymorph contains two inversion‐related conformers, while the γ‐polymorph contains a single conformer that is chiral. The hydrogen bonds are exclusively intermolecular in Form I, but both inter‐ and intramolecular in Form II, which accounts for the different molecular conformations in the two polymorphs.     

Crystal and molecular structures of two polymorphs of a furanocoumarin — Smyrindiol from Smyrniopsis aucheri

The structures of two polymorphic modifications (I) and (II), of a furocoumarin — smyrindiol fromSmyrniopsis aucheri — have been determined by the x-ray structural method. Polymorph I, isolated from the earlier fraction, differed from polymorph II by the presence of a solvate acetone molecule in the crystal. The conformations of the smyrindiol molecule in the two polymorphs differed slightly in the furan ring.     

Charge density analysis of two polymorphs of antimony(III) oxide

High-resolution X-ray diffraction data have been collected on the cubic polymorph of antimony(III) oxide (senarmontite) to determine the charge distribution in the crystal. The results are in quantitative agreement with crystal Hartree-Fock calculations for this polymorph, and have been compared with theoretical calculations on the orthorhombic polymorph (valentinite). Information about the nature of bonding and relative bond strengths in the two polymorphs has been extracted in a straightforward manner via topological analysis of the electron density. All the close contacts in both polymorphs are found to be similar in nature based on the value of the Laplacian, the magnitude of the electron density and the local energy density at the bond critical points, and these characterise the observed interactions as substantially polar covalent, similar to molecular calculation results on Si-O and Ge-O. Electrostatic potential isosurfaces reveal the octopolar nature of this function for senarmontite, and shed light on the observed packing arrangement of Sb4O6 molecules in the crystal.     

From nonpolar to ferroelectric crystal structure: the temperature-tuned growth of two guanidinium ethoxysulfonate polymorphs

Guanidinium ethoxysulfonate, [C(NH2)3]+[C2H5O-SO3]-, was synthesized, and two polymorphs, both stable at normal conditions, were grown from an aqueous solution by only a slight change in the crystallization temperature. The nonpolar polymorph I is built of hydrogen-bonded bilayers, while the ferroelectric polymorph II consists of single-layers. The diversity in the crystals' architecture and properties originates from the excessive number of proton-acceptor sites. At 298 K, the structure of polymorph I is orthorhombic, space group Pbam, formed of supramolecular hydrogen-bonded sheets. Within such a sheet, the ethoxysulfonate anions assume alternately cis and trans conformations, both disordered at room temperature and at 150 K. The anisotropy of the crystal structure is mirrored by a strong anisotropy of its thermal expansion. Upon cooling at 120 K, the crystal undergoes a first-order order-disorder phase transition. The structure of polymorph II is also reinforced by the two-dimensional network of NH...O hydrogen bonds, but the supramolecular motif formed is different from that of polymorph I. The H-bonded strongly corrugated sheets are stacked, forming a densely packed single-layer structure. All the anions assume the same trans conformation. At 298 K, they are disordered between the two sites related by the mirror symmetry plane. The onset of ordering of the anions coincides with the Curie point at TC = 211 K, at which the dielectric constant exceeds 4000. The continuous paraelectric-ferroelectric phase transition is associated with the symmetry change Pnma --> Pna21. Despite the apparent order-disorder character of the transition, the transition mechanism also involves a substantial displacement of the ions and a rearrangement of the H-bonded network.     

Intermolecular interactions in polymorphs of trinuclear gold(I) complexes: insight into the solvoluminescence of Au(I)3(MeN=COMe)3

The trinuclear complex, Au(I)3(MeN=COMe)3, which displays a number of remarkable properties including solvoluminescence, has been found to crystallize as three polymorphs. The new triclinic and monoclinic polymorphs crystallized as colorless blocks, whereas the original hexagonal polymorph formed colorless needles. These polymorphs differ in the manner in which the nearly planar molecules pack and in the nature of the aurophilic interactions between them. Each of the three polymorphs of Au(I)3(MeN=COMe)3 shows a distinctive emission spectrum, but only the original hexagonal polymorph shows the low-energy emission that is responsible for its solvoluminescence. Colorless Au(I)3(n-PentN=COMe)3 crystallized from diethyl ether as needles of an orthorhombic polymorph and blocks of a triclinic polymorph. These polymorphs differ in the orientation of the n-Pent substituents, in the orientation of the trimers with respect to one another, and in the nature of the aurophilic interactions between the molecules. Only the triclinic polymorph of Au(I)3(n-PentN=COMe)3 shows luminescence at room temperature, but it is not solvoluminescent. Colorless Au(I)3(i-PrN=COMe)3 has also been prepared and crystallographically characterized. The isopropyl groups protrude out of the plane of the nine-membered ring and prevent self-association. The closest Au...Au contact between molecules is 6.417 A. Crystalline Au(I)3(i-PrN=COMe)3 is not luminescent at room temperature.     

Insights into the molecular mechanism underlying polymorph selection

We use molecular simulations to study polymorph selection during the crystallization of charge-stabilized colloidal suspension. By modifying the conditions of crystallization, we invert the stability of two polymorphs and induce the formation of crystallites whose structure is predominantly that of the stable polymorph. However, our simulations reveal that kinetics play a major role not only during the nucleation step but also in the growth mechanism. The growth of postcritical crystallites of the stable polymorph proceeds through a complex mechanism involving the cross-nucleation of a third metastable polymorph followed by the conversion of this third polymorph into the stable structure.     

Two polymorphs of safinamide,a selective and reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase B

Two polymorphs of safinamide {systematic name: (2S)‐2‐[4‐(3‐fluorobenzyloxy)benzylamino]propionamide}, C₁₇H₁₉FN₂O₂, a potent selective and reversible monoamine oxidase B (MAO‐B) inhibitor, are described. Both forms are orthorhombic and regarded as conformational polymorphs due to the differences in the orientation of the 3‐fluorobenzyloxy and propanamide groups. Both structures pack with layers in the ac plane. In polymorph (I), the layers have discrete wide and narrow regions which are complementary when located next to adjacent layers. In polymorph (II), the layer has long flanges protruding from each side, which interdigitate when packed with the adjacent layers. N—H...O hydrogen bonds are present in both structures, whereas N—H...F hydrogen bonding is seen in polymorph (I), while N—H...N hydrogen bonding is seen in polymorph (II).     

New simulation model of multicomponent crystal growth and inhibition

We review a novel computational model for the study of crystal structures both on their own and in conjunction with inhibitor molecules. The model advances existing Monte Carlo (MC) simulation techniques by extending them from modeling 3D crystal surface patches to modeling entire 3D crystals, and by including the use of "complex" multicomponent molecules within the simulations. These advances makes it possible to incorporate the 3D shape and non-uniform surface properties of inhibitors into simulations, and to study what effect these inhibitor properties have on the growth of whole crystals containing up to tens of millions of molecules. The application of this extended MC model to the study of antifreeze proteins (AFPs) and their effects on ice formation is reported, including the success of the technique in achieving AFP-induced ice-growth inhibition with concurrent changes to ice morphology that mimic experimental results. Simulations of ice-growth inhibition suggest that the degree of inhibition afforded by an AFP is a function of its ice-binding position relative to the underlying anisotropic growth pattern of ice. This extended MC technique is applicable to other crystal and crystal-inhibitor systems, including more complex crystal systems such as clathrates.     

Understanding the growth rates of polymer cocrystallization in the binary mixtures of different chain lengths

Polymer materials often contain a polydispersity of molecular lengths. We studied the linear growth rates of polymer lamellar crystals in the binary mixtures of different chain lengths by means of dynamic Monte Carlo simulations. Both chain lengths were chosen large enough to perform chain folding upon crystal growth but not very large to avoid the effect of chain entanglement in the bulk phase. We found that the crystal growth rates exhibit a linear dependence upon the compositions of mixtures. This linear relation implies that the overall crystal growth rates are integrated by the separate contributions of variable-length single polymers, supporting the model of intramolecular crystal nucleation. In each event of crystal growth of single polymers, long chains yield more crystallinity than short chains. This high efficiency explains higher crystal growth rates of long chains than that of short chains, and the explanation is quite different from the traditional view on the basis of their different melting points. In addition, with a partial release of sliding diffusion for crystal thickening, a new dependence of crystal growth rates occurs near the dilute end of long-chain compositions at high temperatures, which can be attributed to the preference of integer-number chain folding at the crystal growth front. The preferred fold lengths may vary with chain lengths and thus influence the crystal growth rates.