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Sacchi P, Wright SE, Neoptolemou P, Lampronti GI, Rajagopalan AK, Kras W, Evans CL, Hodgkinson P, Cruz-Cabeza AJ. Crystal size, shape, and conformational changes drive both the disappearance and reappearance of ritonavir polymorphs in the mill. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2319127121. [PMID: 38557191 PMCID: PMC11009673 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2319127121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Organic compounds can crystallize in different forms known as polymorphs. Discovery and control of polymorphism is crucial to the pharmaceutical industry since different polymorphs can have significantly different physical properties which impacts their utilization in drug delivery. Certain polymorphs have been reported to 'disappear' from the physical world, irreversibly converting to new ones. These unwanted polymorph conversions, initially prevented by slow nucleation kinetics, are eventually observed driven by significant gains in thermodynamic stabilities. The most infamous of these cases is that of the HIV drug ritonavir (RVR): Once its reluctant form was unwillingly nucleated for the first time, its desired form could no longer be produced with the same manufacturing process. Here we show that RVR's extraordinary disappearing polymorph as well as its reluctant form can be consistently produced by ball-milling under different environmental conditions. We demonstrate that the significant difference in stability between its polymorphs can be changed and reversed in the mill-a process we show is driven by crystal size as well as crystal shape and conformational effects. We also show that those effects can be controlled through careful design of milling conditions since they dictate the kinetics of crystal breakage, dissolution, and growth processes that eventually lead to steady-state crystal sizes and shapes in the mill. This work highlights the huge potential of mechanochemistry in polymorph discovery of forms initially difficult to nucleate, recovery of disappearing polymorphs, and polymorph control of complex flexible drug compounds such as RVR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Sacchi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Manchester, ManchesterM13 9PL, United Kingdom
- The Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre, CambridgeCB2 1EZ, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah E. Wright
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Manchester, ManchesterM13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Petros Neoptolemou
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Manchester, ManchesterM13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Giulio I. Lampronti
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 3EQ, United Kingdom
| | | | - Weronika Kras
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Manchester, ManchesterM13 9PL, United Kingdom
- Chemical Development, Pharmaceutical Technology & Development, AstraZeneca, MacclesfieldSK10 2NA, United Kingdom
| | - Caitlin L. Evans
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, DurhamDH1 3LE, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Hodgkinson
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, DurhamDH1 3LE, United Kingdom
| | - Aurora J. Cruz-Cabeza
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Manchester, ManchesterM13 9PL, United Kingdom
- Chemical Development, Pharmaceutical Technology & Development, AstraZeneca, MacclesfieldSK10 2NA, United Kingdom
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, DurhamDH1 3LE, United Kingdom
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Madanayake SN, Manipura A, Thakuria R, Adassooriya NM. Opportunities and Challenges in Mechanochemical Cocrystallization toward Scaled-Up Pharmaceutical Manufacturing. Org Process Res Dev 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.oprd.2c00314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sithmi Nimashi Madanayake
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka
| | - Aruna Manipura
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka
| | - Ranjit Thakuria
- Department of Chemistry, Gauhati University, Guwahati 781014, Assam, India
| | - Nadeesh M. Adassooriya
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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Boldyreva E. Spiers Memorial Lecture: Mechanochemistry, tribochemistry, mechanical alloying - retrospect, achievements and challenges. Faraday Discuss 2023; 241:9-62. [PMID: 36519434 DOI: 10.1039/d2fd00149g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The paper presents a view on the achievements, challenges and prospects of mechanochemistry. The extensive reference list can serve as a good entry point to a plethora of mechanochemical literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Boldyreva
- Boreskov Institute of Catalysis SB RAS & Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation.
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4
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Linberg K, Röder B, Al-Sabbagh D, Emmerling F, Michalchuk AAL. Controlling polymorphism in molecular cocrystals by variable temperature ball milling. Faraday Discuss 2023; 241:178-193. [PMID: 36169080 DOI: 10.1039/d2fd00115b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Mechanochemistry offers a unique opportunity to modify and manipulate crystal forms, often providing new products as compared with conventional solution methods. While promising, there is little known about how to control the solid form through mechanochemical means, demanding dedicated investigations. Using a model organic cocrystal system (isonicotinamide:glutaric acid), we here demonstrate that with mechanochemistry, polymorphism can be induced in molecular solids under conditions seemingly different to their conventional thermodynamic (thermal) transition point. Whereas Form II converts to Form I upon heating to 363 K, the same transition can be initiated under ball milling conditions at markedly lower temperatures (348 K). Our results indicate that mechanochemical techniques can help to reduce the energy barriers to solid form transitions, offering new insights into controlling polymorphic forms. Moreover, our results suggest that the nature of mechanochemical transformations could make it difficult to interpret mechanochemical solid form landscapes using conventional equilibrium-based tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Linberg
- Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Richard-Willstätter-Strasse 11, 12489 Berlin, Germany. .,Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Strasse 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Bettina Röder
- Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Richard-Willstätter-Strasse 11, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Dominik Al-Sabbagh
- Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Richard-Willstätter-Strasse 11, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Franziska Emmerling
- Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Richard-Willstätter-Strasse 11, 12489 Berlin, Germany. .,Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Strasse 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Adam A L Michalchuk
- Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Richard-Willstätter-Strasse 11, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
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In Melting Points We Trust: A Review on the Misguiding Characterization of Multicomponent Reactions Adducts and Intermediates. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27217552. [DOI: 10.3390/molecules27217552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
We discuss herein the problems associated with using melting points to characterize multicomponent reactions’ (MCRs) products and intermediates. Although surprising, it is not rare to find articles in which these MCRs final adducts (or their intermediates) are characterized solely by comparing melting points with those available from other reports. A brief survey among specialized articles highlights serious and obvious problems with this practice since, for instance, cases are found in which as many as 25 quite contrasting melting points have been attributed to the very same MCR adduct. Indeed, it seems logical to assume that the inherent non-confirmatory nature of melting points could be vastly misleading as a protocol for structural confirmation, but still many publications (also in the Q1 and Q2 quartiles) insist on using it. This procedure contradicts best practices in organic synthesis, and articles fraught with limitations and misleading conclusions have been published in the MCRs field. The drawbacks inherent to this practice are indeed serious and have misguided MCRs advances. We therefore suggest some precautions aimed at avoiding future confusions.
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