The effect of solvents and crystallization conditions on crystal habit of cholesterol

The effect of various organic solvents as well as the crystallization conditions on the crystal habit of anhydrous cholesterol have been studied. Both plates and needle-like crystals can be obtained in a particular solvent depending on the degree of supersaturation of the solution. However, the crystals grown at about the same supersaturation, from different solvents, show differences in their habit indicating dependence on the solvent-solute interaction. Thus, it is advisable not to identify needle-like crystals with anhydrous-cholesterol and plates with mono-hydrate cholesterol without specifying the crystallization conditions. A prediction on the crystal habit length to width ratios can be made using those parameters.