The preparation,characterization, structure and dissolution analysis of apremilast solvatomorphs

Apremilast (AP) {systematic name: (S )‐2‐[1‐(3‐ethoxy‐4‐methoxyphenyl)‐2‐(methylsulfonyl)ethyl]‐4‐acetamidoisoindoline‐1,3‐dione} is an inhibitor of phosphodieasterase‐4 (PDE4) and is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis. The ability of AP to form solvates has been investigated and three solvatomorphs of AP, namely, the AP ethyl acetate hemisolvate, C₂₂H₂₄N₂O₇S·0.5C₄H₈O₂, the AP toluene hemisolvate, C₂₂H₂₄N₂O₇S·0.5C₇H₈, and the AP dichloromethane monosolvate, C₂₂H₂₄N₂O₇S·CH₂Cl₂, were obtained. The three AP solvatomorphs were characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction was used to analyze the structures, crystal symmetry, packing modes, stoichiometry and hydrogen‐bonding interactions of the solvatomorphs. In addition, dissolution analyses were performed to study the dissolution rates of different AP solvatomorph tablets in vitro and to make comparisons with commercial apremilast tablets (produced by Celgene); all three solvatomorphs showed similar dissolution rates and similar values of the similarity factor f₂ in a comparison of their dissolution profiles.     

Crystal structure of 5,6‐bis(9H‐carbazol‐9‐yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole: distortion from a hypothetical higher‐symmetry structure

Nucleophilic substitution of F atoms in 5,6‐difluorobenzo[c ][1,2,5]thiadiazole (DFBT) for carbazole could be potentially interesting as a novel way of synthesizing building blocks for new conjugated materials for applications in organic chemistry. The crystal structures of 5,6‐bis(9H‐carbazol‐9‐yl)benzo[c ][1,2,5]thiadiazole (DCBT), C₃₀H₁₈N₄S, and its hydrate, C₃₀H₁₈N₄S·0.125H₂O, were investigated using single‐crystal X‐ray analysis. The hydrate contains two symmetry‐independent DCBT molecules. The dihedral angles between the plane of the central benzothiadiazole fragment and that of the carbazole units vary between 50.8 and 69.9°, indicating conformational flexibility of the DCBT molecule in the crystals, which is consistent with quantum chemical calculations. The analysis of the crystal packing of DCBT revealed that the experimental triclinic structure could be described as a distortion from a hypothetical higher‐symmetry monoclinic structure. The quantum chemical calculations of two possible monoclinic structures, which are related to the experimental structure by a shifting of molecular layers, showed that the proposed structures are higher in energy by 5.4 and 10.1 kcal mol⁻¹. This energy increase is caused by less dense crystal packings of the symmetric structures, which results in a decrease of the number of intermolecular interactions.     

Synthesis and crystal structures of two structurally related kryptoracemates

Kryptoracemates are racemic compounds (pairs of enantiomers) that crystallize in Sohnke space groups (space groups that contain neither inversion centres nor mirror or glide planes nor rotoinversion axes). Thus, the two symmetry‐independent molecules cannot be transformed into one another by any symmetry element present in the crystal structure. Usually, the conformation of the two enantiomers is rather similar if not identical. Sometimes, the two enantiomers are related by a pseudosymmetry element, which is often a pseudocentre of inversion, because inversion symmetry is thought to be favourable for crystal packing. We obtained crystals of two kryptoracemates of two very similar compounds differing in just one residue, namely rac‐N‐[(1S ,2R ,3S )‐2‐methyl‐3‐(5‐methylfuran‐2‐yl)‐1‐phenyl‐3‐(pivalamido)propyl]benzamide, C₂₇H₃₂N₂O₃, (I), and rac‐N‐[(1S ,2S ,3R )‐2‐methyl‐3‐(5‐methylfuran‐2‐yl)‐1‐phenyl‐3‐(propionamido)propyl]benzamide dichloromethane hemisolvate, C₂₅H₂₈N₂O₃·0.5CH₂Cl₂, (II). The crystals of both compounds contain both enantiomers of these chiral molecules. However, since the space groups [P 2₁2₁2₁ for (I) and P 1 for (II)] contain neither inversion centres nor mirror or glide planes nor rotoinversion axes, there are both enantiomers in the asymmetric unit, which is a rather uncommon phenomenon. In addition, it is remarkable that (II) contains two pairs of enantiomers in the asymmetric unit. In the crystal, molecules are connected by intermolecular N—H…O hydrogen bonds to form chains or layered structures.     

Computational, 1H NMR,and X‐ray structural studies on 1‐arylurazole tetrazane dimers

Nitrogen‐centered urazole radicals exist in equilibrium with tetrazane dimers in solution. The equilibrium established typically favors the free‐radical form. However, 1‐arylurazole radicals bearing substituents at the ortho position favor the dimeric form. We were able to determine the structure of one of the dimers (substituted at both ortho positions with methyl groups), namely 1,2‐(2,4‐dimethylphenyl)‐2‐[2‐(2,4‐dimethylphenyl)‐4‐methyl‐3,5‐dioxo‐1,2,4‐triazolidin‐1‐yl]‐4‐methyl‐1,2,4‐triazolidine‐3,5‐dione, C₂₄H₂₈N₆O₄, via X‐ray crystallography. The experimentally determined structure agreed well with the computationally obtained geometry at the B3LYP/6‐311G(d,p) level of theory. The preferred syn conformation of these 1‐arylurazole dimers results in the two aromatic rings being proximate and nearly parallel, which leads to some interesting shielding effects of certain signals in the ¹H NMR spectrum. Armed with this information, we were able to decipher the more complicated ¹H NMR spectrum obtained from a dimer that was monosubstituted at the ortho position with a methyl group.     

Study on cyanobiphenyl nematic doped by silver nanoparticles

We study the effects of doped (1%wt and 2%wt) silver nanoparticles on material properties of nematic liquid crystal: 4-pentyl-4′-cyanobiphenyl. Using differential scanning calorimetry, electrical and dielectric measurements methods, we show that the doped NPs do not affect the nematic’s phase clearing point, lower the dielectric anisotropy, viscosity, switching-off time, and increase the threshold voltage and elasticity of the nematic. We report that the doped materials temperature behaviour of Frederick’s transition threshold voltage and switching-off time, deviates from the expected behaviour for pristine nematics. To explain this anomalous behaviour, we perform data analysis of the governing Frederick’s transition material parameters of studied samples. We show that the elastic parameter of doped samples is not following the predictions of Maier–Saupe theory, which is valid for conventional nematics. We report that the doped samples temperature behaviour of the elastic parameter follows the predictions of the Gelbart and Ben-Shaul theory.     

Transflective BPIII mode with no internal reflector

A transflective device without reflector using room temperature blue phase III (BPIII) material is demonstrated in this study. In this device, the coupling of an induced birefringence and field-induced BP, relating the ordered orientation of the double-helix cylinders, causes the reflection and transmission. Compared with other reported transflective liquid crystal devices, the BPIII device shown here does not need any type of internal reflector. Well-matched voltage-dependent transmittance and reflectance curves can be obtained easily without considering the cell gap and incident wavelength. The total response time is less than 2 ms, which is also independent of the cell gap. The experimental results exhibit a simple way to get a transflective device with good ability based on the electro-optical properties of BPIII.     

Director configurations in nematic droplets with tilted surface anchoring

The polymer dispersed nematic liquid crystal (LC) with the tilted surface anchoring has been studied. The droplet orientational structures with two point surface defects – boojums and the surface ring defect – are formed within the films. The director tilt angle α = 40° ± 4° at the droplet interface and LC surface anchoring strength W_s ~ 10^–6 (J m^?2) have been estimated. The bipolar axes within the studied droplets of oblate ellipsoidal form can be randomly oriented are oriented randomly relatively to the ellipsoid axes as opposed to the droplets with homeotropic and tangential anchoring.     

Atomically flat single terminated oxide substrate surfaces

Scientific interest in atomically controlled layer-by-layer fabrication of transition metal oxide thin films and heterostructures has increased intensely in recent decades for basic physics reasons as well as for technological applications. This trend has to do, in part, with the coming post-Moore era, and functional oxide electronics could be regarded as a viable alternative for the current semiconductor electronics. Furthermore, the interface of transition metal oxides is exposing many new emergent phenomena and is increasingly becoming a playground for testing new ideas in condensed matter physics. To achieve high quality epitaxial thin films and heterostructures of transition metal oxides with atomically controlled interfaces, one critical requirement is the use of atomically flat single terminated oxide substrates since the atomic arrangements and the reaction chemistry of the topmost surface layer of substrates determine the growth and consequent properties of the overlying films. Achieving the atomically flat and chemically single terminated surface state of commercially available substrates, however, requires judicious efforts because the surface of as-received substrates is of chemically mixed nature and also often polar. In this review, we summarize the surface treatment procedures to accomplish atomically flat surfaces with single terminating layer for various metal oxide substrates. We particularly focus on the substrates with lattice constant ranging from 4.00 Å to 3.70 Å, as the lattice constant of most perovskite materials falls into this range. For materials outside the range, one can utilize the substrates to induce compressive or tensile strain on the films and explore new states not available in bulk. The substrates covered in this review, which have been chosen with commercial availability and, most importantly, experimental practicality as a criterion, are KTaO₃, REScO₃ (RE = Rare-earth elements), SrTiO₃, La_0.18Sr_0.82Al_0.59Ta_0.41O₃ (LSAT), NdGaO₃, LaAlO₃, SrLaAlO₄, and YAlO₃. Analyzing all the established procedures, we conclude that atomically flat surfaces with selective A- or B-site single termination would be obtained for most commercially available oxide substrates. We further note that this topmost surface layer selectivity would provide an additional degree of freedom in searching for unforeseen emergent phenomena and functional applications in epitaxial oxide thin films and heterostructures with atomically controlled interfaces.     

Template-directed syntheses of two 3D metal oxalates: in situ N-methylation and crystal structures

Two isomorphic organically templated zinc/cobalt oxalates, (dmdabco)[Zn₂(C₂O₄)₃]·4H₂O (1), and (dmdabco)[Co₂(C₂O₄)₃]·4H₂O (2) (C₂O₄^2? = oxalate; dmdabco = N,N′-dimethyl-1,4-diazabicyclo[2,2,2]octane), have been prepared under solvothermal conditions and characterized by X-ray structural analyses. The dmdabco²⁺ templating agent was derived from simple in situ N-alkylation between methanol and 1,4-diazabicyclo[2,2,2]octane (dabco). Distinct from conventional Eschweiler-Clarke methylation containing excess formic acid and formaldehyde, such one-step methylation from methanol molecules is convenient. Both 1 and 2 exhibit a uninodal 3-connected 3-D interrupted open-framework, in which oxalate ligands have in-plane and out-of-plane connection modes.