Aromaticity effect on supramolecular aggregation. Aromatic vs. cyclic monohydroxy alcohols

In this paper, the steric hindrance effect related to the presence of either a cyclic or aromatic ring on the self-association process in the series of monohydroxy alcohols (MAs), from cyclohexanemethanol to 4-cyclohexyl-1-butanol and from benzyl alcohol to 4-phenyl-1-butanol, was studied using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS) and the Pendant Drop (PD) methods. Based on FTIR results, it was shown that phenyl alcohol (PhA) and cyclohexyl alcohol (CA) derivatives reveal substantial differences in the association degree, the activation energy of dissociation, and the homogeneity of supramolecular nanoassociates suggesting that the phenyl ring exerts a stronger steric impact on the self-assembling of molecules than cyclohexyl one. Additionally, XRD data revealed that phenyl moiety introduces more heterogeneity in the organization of molecules compared to the cyclic one. The changes in the self-association process of alcohols were also reflected in differences in the molecular dynamics of the H-bonded aggregates, as well as in the Kirkwood factor, defining the long-range correlation between dipoles, which were slightly higher for CAs with respect to those determined for PhAs. Unexpectedly it was also found that the surface layers of PhAs were more organized than those formed by CAs. Thus, these findings provided insight into the impact of aromaticity on the self-assembly process, H-bonding pattern, supramolecular structure, and intermolecular dynamics of the studied alcohols.

The impact of the length of alkyl chain on the behavior of benzyl alcohol homologues - the interplay between dispersive and hydrogen bond interactions

In this work, we examined the effect of the length of alkyl chain attached to the benzene ring on the self-assembling phenomena for a series of phenyl alcohol (PhA) derivatives, from phenylmethanol (benzyl alcohol) to 7-phenyl-1-heptanol, by means of X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS) methods. XRD data in the reciprocal and real spaces showed a gradual increase in the local order with the elongation of the alkyl chain. However, the position and full width at half maximum of the main diffraction peak exhibited a non-systematic behavior. To better understand this fact, PhAs were subjected to FTIR spectroscopic studies. These investigations revealed that the association degree and the activation energy of dissociation increase as the alkyl chain length grows. On the other hand, BDS data showed a non-monotonic variation in the Kirkwood correlation factor with increasing length of the alkyl chain, indicating a competition between interactions of the non-polar and polar parts of the molecules in the studied PhAs. Finally, it was also found that the molar surface entropy for PhAs increases with the number of methylene groups, approaching values reported for alkanes, which indicates suppression of the surface order for PhAs with a long alkyl chain. This variability of the various parameters as a function of the length of the side chain shows that the interplay between soft interactions has a strong impact on the local structure and intra and intermolecular dynamics of the studied PhAs.

New paradigm of dielectric relaxation of sizable and rigid molecular glass formers

In this Rapid Communication we report the unusual dynamics of planar, rigid, and anisotropy glass-forming molecules of unusually large size by dielectric spectroscopy by using two examples. The size of the molecules is much larger than the dipolar moiety located at the end of the longer axis of each molecule. The observed dynamics deviates strongly from the anticorrelation between β_{KWW} (fractional exponent of the Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts function) and dielectric strength, Δɛ(T_{g}), established generally for small van der Waals molecular glass formers. Moreover, the dynamics of the two large molecules differ greatly, albeit the difference is the dipole moment being orthogonal or parallel to the longer axis of the molecules. The drastic variation in dielectric response of the two materials coming from different portions of the structural α-relaxation spectrum is probed by the dipole. Thus, the new behavior opens up a new research area of the dynamics and thermodynamics of nonpolymeric sizable molecules, the dielectric response of which can be varied by the design of the dipole moiety.

Molecular Dynamics and Physical Stability of Amorphous Nimesulide Drug and Its Binary Drug-Polymer Systems

In this article we study the effectiveness of three well-known polymers: inulin, Soluplus, and PVP in stabilizing the amorphous form of nimesulide (NMS) drug. The recrystallization tendency of pure drug as well as measured drug-polymer systems were examined at isothermal conditions by broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) and at nonisothermal conditions by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Our investigation has shown that the crystallization half-life time of pure NMS at 328 K is equal to 33 min. We found that this time can be prolonged to 40 years after adding 20% w/w PVP to NMS. This polymer proved to be the best NMS stabilizer, while the worst stabilization effect was exhibited by inulin. Additionally, our DSC, BDS, and FTIR studies indicate that for suppression of NMS recrystallization in the NMS-PVP system, the two mechanisms are responsible: the polymeric steric hindrances and the antiplastization effect exerted by the excipient.

Stabilization of the Amorphous Ezetimibe Drug by Confining Its Dimension

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of nanoconfinement on the molecular mobility, as well as on the physical stability, of amorphous ezetimibe drug. Two guest/host systems, ezetimibe-Aeroperl 300 and ezetimibe-Neusilin US2, were prepared and studied using various experimental techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS). Our investigation has shown that the molecular mobility of the examined anticholesterol agent incorporated into nanopore matrices strongly depends on the pore size of the host system. Moreover, it was found that the amorphous ezetimibe confined in 30 nm pores of Aeroperl 300 has a tendency to recrystallize, while the drug incorporated into the smaller--5 nm--pores of Neusilin US2 is not able to crystallize. It has been shown that this significant stabilization of ezetimibe drug can be achieved by an interplay of three factors: changes in molecular dynamics of the confined amorphous drug, the immobilization effect of pore walls on a part of ezetimibe molecules, and the use of host materials with pores that are smaller than the critical size of the drug crystal nuclei.

Toward a Better Understanding of the Physical Stability of Amorphous Anti-Inflammatory Agents: The Roles of Molecular Mobility and Molecular Interaction Patterns

The aim of this article is to examine the crystallization tendencies of three chemically related amorphous anti-inflammatory agents, etoricoxib, celecoxib, and rofecoxib. Since the molecular mobility is considered as one of the factors affecting the crystallization behavior of a given material, broadband dielectric spectroscopy was used to gain insight into the molecular dynamics of the selected active pharmaceutical ingredients. Interestingly, our experiments did not reveal any significant differences in their relaxation behavior either in the supercooled liquid or in the glassy state. Hence, as a possible explanation for the enhanced physical stability of etoricoxib, its ability to undergo a tautomerization reaction was recognized. The occurrence of intramolecular proton transfer in the disordered etoricoxib was proven experimentally by time-dependent dielectric and infrared (IR) measurements. Additionally, IR spectroscopy combined with density functional theory calculations pointed out that in the etoricoxib drug, being in fact a binary mixture of tautomers, the individual isomers may interact with each other through a hydrogen bonding network. A possible explanation of this issue was achieved by performing dielectric experiments at elevated pressure. Since compression results in etoricoxib recrystallization, the possible influence of pressure on the observed stabilization effect is also carefully discussed.

Molecular Dynamics and Physical Stability of Coamorphous Ezetimib and Indapamide Mixtures

Low physical stability is the main reason limiting the widespread use of amorphous pharmaceuticals. One approach to overcome this problem is to mix these drugs with various excipients. In this study coamorphous drug-drug compositions of different molar ratios of ezetimib and indapamid (i.e., EZB 10:1 IDP, EZB 5:1 IDP, EZB 2:1 IDP, EZB 1:1 IDP and EZB 1:2 IDP) were prepared and investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Our studies have shown that the easily recrystallizing ezetimib drug can be significantly stabilized in its amorphous form by using even a small amount of indapamid (8.8 wt %). DSC experiments indicate that the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the tested mixtures changes with the drug concentration in accordance with the Gordon-Taylor equation. We also investigated the effect of indapamid on the molecular dynamics of the ezetimib. As a result it was found that, with increasing indapamid content, the molecular mobility of the binary drug-drug system is slowed down. Finally, using the XRD technique we examined the long-term physical stability of the investigated binary systems stored at room temperature. These measurements prove that low-molecular-weight compounds are able to significantly improve the physical stability of amorphous APIs.

Role of entropy in the thermodynamic evolution of the time scale of molecular dynamics near the glass transition

In this paper, we investigate how changes in the system entropy influence the characteristic time scale of the system molecular dynamics near the glass transition. Independently of any model of thermodynamic evolution of the time scale, against some previous suppositions, we show that the system entropy S is not sufficient to govern the time scale defined by structural relaxation time τ. In the density scaling regime, we argue that the decoupling between τ and S is a consequence of different values of the scaling exponents γ and γ(S) in the density scaling laws, τ=f(ρ(γ)/T) and S=h(ρ(γ(S))/T), where ρ and T denote density and temperature, respectively. It implies that the proper relation between τ and S requires supplementing with a density factor, u(ρ), i.e., τ=g(u(ρ)w(S)). This meaningful finding additionally demonstrates that the density scaling idea can be successfully used to separate physically relevant contributions to the time scale of molecular dynamics near the glass transition. The relation reported by us between τ and S constitutes a general pattern based on nonconfigurational quantities for describing the thermodynamic evolution of the characteristic time scale of molecular dynamics near the glass transition in the density scaling regime, which is a promising alternative to the approaches based as the Adam-Gibbs model on the configurational entropy that is difficult to evaluate in the entire thermodynamic space. As an example, we revise the Avramov entropic model of the dependence τ(T,ρ), giving evidence that its entropic basis has to be extended by the density dependence of the maximal energy barrier for structural relaxation. We also discuss the excess entropy S(ex), the density scaling of which is found to mimic the density scaling of the total system entropy S.

High pressure as a key factor to identify the conductivity mechanism in protic ionic liquids

In this Letter we report the relation between ionic conductivity and structural relaxation in supercooled protic ionic liquids (PILs) under high pressure. The results of high-pressure dielectric and volumetric measurements, combined with rheological and temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry experiments, have revealed a fundamental difference between the conducting properties under isothermal and isobaric conditions for three PILs with different charge transport mechanisms (Grotthuss vs vehicle). Our findings indicate a breakdown of the fractional Stokes-Einstein relation and Walden rule when the ionic transport is controlled by fast proton hopping. Consequently, we demonstrate that the studied PILs exhibit significantly higher conductivity than one would expect taking into account that they are in fact a mixture of ionic and neutral species. Thus, the examined herein samples represent a new class of "superionic" materials desired for many advanced applications.

Molecular dynamics of itraconazole at ambient and high pressure

Comprehensive molecular dynamics studies of vitrified and cryogrounded itraconazole (Itr) were performed at ambient and elevated pressure. DSC measurements yielded besides melting and glass transition observed during heating and cooling of both samples two further endothermic events at around T = 363 K and T = 346 K. The nature of these transitions was investigated using X-ray diffraction, broadband dielectric spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory calculations. The X-ray measurements indicated that extra ordering in itraconazole is likely to occur. Based on calculations and theory derived by Letz et al. the transition observed at T = 363 K was discussed in the context of formation of the nematic mesophase. In fact, additional FTIR measurements revealed that order parameter variation in Itr shows a typical sequence of liquid crystal phases with axially symmetric orientational order; i.e. a nematic phase in the temperature range 361.7 K to 346.5 K and a smectic A phase below 346.5. Moreover, dielectric measurements demonstrated that except for the structural relaxation process, there is also slower mode above the glass transition temperature in both vitrified and cryogrounded samples. We considered the origin of this mode taking into account DFT calculations, rod like shape of itraconazole and distribution of its dipole moment vectors. For the dielectric data collected at elevated pressure, evolution of the steepness index versus pressure was determined. Finally, the pressure coefficient of the glass transition temperature was evaluated to be equal to 190 K GPa(-1).

Effect of temperature and density fluctuations on the spatially heterogeneous dynamics of glass-forming Van der Waals liquids under high pressure

In this Letter, we show how temperature and density fluctuations affect the spatially heterogeneous dynamics at ambient and elevated pressures. By using high-pressure experimental data for van der Waals liquids, we examine contributions of the temperature and density fluctuations to the dynamics heterogeneity. We show that the dynamic heterogeneity decreases significantly with increasing pressure at a constant structural relaxation time (isochronal condition), while the broadening of the relaxation spectrum remains constant. This observation questions the relationship between spectral broadening and dynamic heterogeneity.

Pressure coefficient of the glass transition temperature in the thermodynamic scaling regime

We report that the pressure coefficient of the glass transition temperature, dT(g)/dp, which is commonly used to determine the pressure sensitivity of the glass transition temperature T(g), can be predicted in the thermodynamic scaling regime. We show that the equation derived from the isochronal condition combined with the well-known scaling, TV(γ) = const, predicts successfully values of dT(g)/dp for a variety of glass-forming systems, including van der Waals liquids, polymers, and ionic liquids.

Impact of water on molecular dynamics of amorphous α-, β-, and γ-cyclodextrins studied by dielectric spectroscopy

Dielectric, calorimetric, and x-ray diffraction measurements were carried out on α-, β-, and γ-cyclodextrins, which are cyclic saccharides built by, respectively, six, seven, and eight glucose units connected via glycosidic linkage. Differential scanning calorimetry measurements indicated that each carbohydrate has a melting temperature located much above the temperature at which thermal decomposition begins. Moreover, calorimetric data revealed that it is possible to completely dehydrate each cyclodextrin by annealing them above 413 K. Unfortunately, it is impossible to obtain amorphous forms of cyclodextrin by simple cooling of the melt. Thus, a solid state amorphization method has been applied. X-ray diffraction studies demonstrated that by ball milling at room temperature we are able to obtain completely amorphous cyclodextrins. Finally, dielectric measurements were carried out to probe molecular dynamics in the amorphous state of cyclodextrins. It was found that there is only one relaxation process in amorphous hydrated cyclodextrins, while in dried samples two secondary relaxations are present. Moreover, we have shown that water has an enormous effect on the dynamics of both relaxation modes, i.e., with increasing content of water, the activation energy of the slow mode decreases, while that evaluated for the fast mode increases. We were not able to follow the dynamics of the structural relaxation process, because glass transition temperatures of amorphous cyclodextrins were found to lie above thermal degradation points.

Quantifying the Structural Dynamics of Pharmaceuticals in the Glassy State

Structural dynamics in the glassy state of two protic ionic liquids, carvedilol phosphate and procaine hydrochloride, were characterized from analysis of changes in the conductivity relaxation times during physical aging. The obtained relaxation times, having a magnitude exceeding feasible experimental time scales and thus not directly measurable, are consistent with published data from a method that relies on the presence of a secondary relaxation. We also observe a narrowing of the relaxation dispersion, specific to higher frequencies, that is a consequence of the heterogeneous dynamics of deeply supercooled materials.

Molecular dynamics studies on the water mixtures of pharmaceutically important ionic liquid lidocaine HCl

In this paper the molecular dynamics of a common local-anesthetic drug, lidocaine hydrochloride (LD-HCl), and its water mixtures were investigated. By means of broadband dielectric spectroscopy and calorimetric measurements it was shown that even a small addition of water causes a significant effect on the relaxation dynamics of analyzed protic ionic liquid. Apart from the two well-resolved relaxations (σ- and γ-processes) and the β-mode, identified as the JG-process, observed for anhydrous LD-HCl, a new relaxation peak (υ) is visible in the dielectric spectra of aqueous mixtures of this drug. Additionally, the significant effect of the water on the glass transition temperature of LD-HCl was found. The sample characterized with mole fraction of water X(w) = 0.44 reveals the glass transition temperature T(g), 42 K lower than that of anhydrous material (307 K). Finally, it was shown that by amorphization of the hydrochloride salt of lidocaine it is possible to obtain its room temperature ionic liquid form.

Anomalous electrical conductivity behavior at elevated pressure in the protic ionic liquid procainamide hydrochloride

Using broadband dielectric spectroscopy, we investigated the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the conductivity relaxation time τ{σ} of the supercooled protic ionic liquid, procainamide hydrochloride, a common pharmaceutical. The pressure dependence of τ{σ} exhibited anomalous behavior in the vicinity of the glass transition T{g}, manifested by abrupt changes in activation volume. This peculiar behavior, paralleling the change in temperature dependence of τ{σ} near T{g}, is a manifestation of the decoupling between electrical conductivity and structural relaxation. Although the latter effectively ceases in the glassy state, free ions retain their mobility but with a reduced sensitivity to thermodynamic changes. This is the first observation of decoupling of ion migration from structural relaxation in a glassy conductor by isothermal densification.

Molecular dynamics and crystallization phenomenon of supercooled and glassy DNA and RNA nucleosides: β-adenosine, β-thymidine, and β-uridine

Nucleosides are chemical compounds that have an extremely important biological role; they can be found in all types of living organisms. They are crucial components from which DNA and RNA acids are built. In addition, nucleosides are key regulators of many physiological processes. In this paper, the molecular dynamics in the liquid and glassy state of three selected nucleosides, β-adenosine, β-thymidine, and β-uridine, was investigated by means of dielectric spectroscopy. Our results revealed multiple relaxation processes associated with different types of molecular motions. Besides the primary α relaxation, two secondary modes in the glassy states of examined compounds were identified. Crystallization progress monitored by dielectric spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction technique at isostructural relaxation conditions revealed that the examined nucleosides possess completely different tendencies to recrystallize from the liquid as well as the glassy state. We have also made an attempt to predict the time scale of molecular motion below the glass transition temperatures of the respective nucleosides to discuss their potential stability at room temperature over prolonged storage time. Finally, combination of molecular mobility studies with evaluation of thermodynamic parameters from calorimetric measurements allowed us to discuss the fundamental roles of both kinetic and thermodynamic factors in governing the physical stability of the glassy state.

Density scaling in viscous systems near the glass transition

In this paper, a general equation of state (EOS) valid for fluids in the vicinity of the glass transition is derived on the basis of its isothermal precursor. This EOS is able to predict the density scaling of both isobaric and isothermal PVT data and it explicitly involves the scaling exponent γ(EOS), which is most likely straightforwardly related to the exponent of the inverse power law of some effective potential valid for viscous systems. This EOS and the density scaling are very successfully tested for representatives of several material classes (van der Waals liquids, polymer melts, ionic liquids, and even strongly hydrogen-bonded systems). Additionally, if the thermodynamic scaling of primary relaxation times can be achieved with the scaling exponent γ for a given material, then the value γ(EOS) found from fitting its PVT data to the EOS enables us to evaluate the value γ, which is always considerably smaller than γ(EOS).

Molecular dynamics of the cryomilled base and hydrochloride ziprasidones by means of dielectric spectroscopy

Cryomilling was applied to obtain amorphous forms of the base ziprasidone and its hydrochloride salt. Complete amorphization of both samples was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray measurements. As it turned out, cryogrinding is very effective way to obtain these drugs in the amorphous state, especially because melting of both ziprazidones accompanies significant chemical decomposition as revealed by ultra performance liquid chromatography examination. Consequently, the glassy state cannot be reached in conventional way, that is, by supercooling of melt. Broadband dielectric relaxation measurements were performed on both drugs to describe their molecular dynamics above as well as below their glass transition temperatures (T(g)). We found out that ziprasidone base and its hydrochloride salt differ in T(g) in the same way as it was previously reported for tramadol monohydrate and its hydrochloride. Moreover, our dielectric studies revealed that molecular mobility is not the main factor controlling kinetics of crystallization of both ziprasidones above their T(g) . Below the T(g) relaxation related to water as well as secondary relaxation process originating from the intermolecular interaction (Johari-Goldstein) were identified in the loss spectra of both materials. We have demonstrated that except of local mobility, water is the dominant factor moving both ziprasidones toward recrystallization process. Finally, we have also carried out solubility measurements to show that dissolution rate of the amorphous ziprasidones is much higher with respect to the crystalline samples.

Dynamics of the slow mode in the family of six-carbon monosaccharides monitored by dielectric spectroscopy

Broadband dielectric measurements performed on D-glucose, L-sorbose, D-fructose and D-galactose revealed that, except for the structural relaxation process, one can detect in the liquid phase of these carbohydrates a much slower relaxation mode. Recently we have demonstrated that in D-glucose this relaxation mode might be related to the long range correlation of density fluctuations (LRCDF), also called Fischer clusters (FC). Based on the dielectric data obtained for the four monosaccharides we were able to make a more general conclusion about the characteristic dielectric features of the slow mode in the whole family of carbohydrates. We found out that the timescale separation between structural and considered relaxation reaches up to six decades at the glass transition temperature and the dielectric strength decreases significantly with lowering temperature. Another very interesting feature of the slow process is that it can be described by an almost exponential response function. We have found out that the fragility of the slow process lies within the range m = 44-50. Finally, we have also shown that there is a close link between structural and slow relaxation.

Study of the amorphous glibenclamide drug: analysis of the molecular dynamics of quenched and cryomilled material

Glibenclamide (GCM) is an oral hypoglycemic agent of the sulfonylurea group used in the treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Crystalline GCM is characterized by low bioavailability, which is attributed to its poor dissolution properties. It prompted us to prepare this drug in its amorphous form as a means to enhance its dissolution characteristics. Two different methods were used to convert crystalline GCM into the glassy form: quench-cooling of the melt and cryogenic milling. To monitor solid-state properties of the amorphous samples, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), ultraperformance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and spectroscopy, and broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) were applied. The results of UPLC separations along with associated infrared and NMR measurements unambiguously showed that the thermal degradation of the quenched GCM, as suggested in literature reports, does not occur. A similar analysis performed on the cryomilled material also did not indicate any chemical decomposition. On the other hand, both methods confirmed that the conversion to the amorphous form is connected with the amide-imidic acid tautomerism of the examined drug. Moreover it was shown that this transformation occurs regardless of the manner of amorphization. Finally, dielectric spectroscopy was employed to study the molecular dynamics of vitrified GCM. The analysis of the ε''(f) in terms of the KWW function from the dielectric measurements revealed the existence of an "excess wing" attributed to the true Johari-Goldstein process based on Ngai's coupling model. The dielectric properties of GCM obtained in the amorphous form both by rapid cooling of the melt and the cryogenic grinding of crystalline sample were also compared.

Comment on "Density scaling of the diffusion coefficient at various pressures in viscous liquids"

The thermodynamic scaling idea enables an elegant description of relaxation dynamics near the glass transition and provides a linkage between thermodynamics and molecular dynamics of supercooled liquids. A lot of effort has been put into finding functions, f(T(-1)V(-γ)), which can scale dynamical quantities such as relaxation time, viscosity, and diffusion coefficient. Within the trend, Papathanassiou [A. N. Papathanassiou, Phys. Rev. E 79, 032501 (2009)] has recently derived a new scaling function for the reduced diffusion coefficient. In this Comment, we report that this scaling function is not sufficiently grounded, because it is based on some scaled equation of state which predicts significantly different values of the scaling exponent γ from volumetric data in comparison with those found from the scaling of relaxation or viscosity data. Moreover, we would like to point out that any scaling function f cannot be straightforwardly formulated on the basis of any equation of state which yields the scaling exponent γ different from that used to scale the dynamic quantity.

Reply to "Comment on 'Correlations between isobaric and isochoric fragilities and thermodynamical scaling exponent for glass-forming liquids' "

Our recent paper [A. Grzybowski, K. Grzybowska, J. Zioło, and M. Paluch, Phys. Rev. E 74, 041503 (2006)] tested the correlations between isobaric and isochoric fragilities, m_{P} and m_{V} , as well as the scaling exponent gamma under elevated pressure conditions. The preceding paper [R. Casalini and C. M. Roland, Phys. Rev. E 76, 013501 (2007)] is a Comment by the authors of the correlations originally determined for atmospheric pressure. In this Reply we present our point of view on criticisms contained in the Comment. We clarify and maintain our previously drawn conclusions.