The change of the rate-controlling processes with temperature in the hydration of anhydrous nedocromil sodium by water vapor

Application of slurry bridging experiments at controlled water activities to predict the solid-state conversion between anhydrous and hydrated forms using theophylline as a model drug

The role of water activity (a(w)), relative humidity (RH) and temperature on the hydration state of theophylline has been investigated. Slurry bridging experiments at controlled water activities, using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to characterise the solid phase, established that the hydrate is the thermodynamically stable form of theophylline at a(w) > or = 0.5 at 4 degrees C, a(w) > or = 0.64 at 30 degrees C, and a(w) > or = 0.76 at 40 degrees C. These data were used to produce a phase stability diagram for anhydrous/hydrate theophylline versus temperature. Anhydrous theophylline was spray dried in an attempt to reduce crystallinity. The spray dried theophylline was stored at a range of temperatures (4-40 degrees C) and humidities (22-89% RH). Samples were analysed at 3, 6, 9, 26 and 52 weeks using TGA and at the 26 and 52 weeks by PXRD. The solid state stability of the spray dried theophylline closely correlated to the phase stability diagram produced using the slurry bridging experiments. The data suggest that the slurry bridging technique at controlled water activities provides an accurate method of rapidly predicting the physically stable form in anhydrous/hydrate systems.

Solvation mechanisms of nedocromil sodium from activation energy and reaction enthalpy measurements of dehydration and dealcoholation

Two independent athermal methods of analysis have been used to determine the activation energies associated with the dehydration of nedocromil sodium hydrates. For the highest temperature reaction, monohydrate to the anhydrate, the differences in the measured activation energies indicate a three-dimensional nucleation mechanism in the bulk of the crystal with subsequent three-dimensional anhydrate crystal growth. The number of critical nuclei varies inversely with heating rate. Measured enthalpy values for successive removal of water molecules at 31.7 +/- 1.0, 91.3 +/- 0.8, and 193 +/- 0.6 degrees C are the same, within experimental error, at 21.6 +/- 2.6 kJ (mol H(2)O)(-1), as determined from differential thermal analysis traces. This result implies that an earlier concept of "strong" and "weak" water binding is not relevant and temperatures at which H(2)O molecules are removed is related to nucleation effects and not bond energies. The low temperature shoulder on the 91.3 degrees C peak is identified as an effect arising from open pan analysis conditions. The appearance of "transient" peaks in the conditioning stage of nedocromil sodium trihydrate thermal analysis experiments have been investigated and an explanation based on the presence of alcoholates [(NS)(4) small middle dot 5CH(3)OH, (NS)(5) small middle dot 9C(2)H(5)OH, and (NS)(2) small middle dot C(3)H(7)OH] in the preparations is proposed.