Tailoring Chlorthalidone Aqueous Solubility by Cocrystallization: Stability and Dissolution Behavior of a Novel Chlorthalidone-Caffeine Cocrystal.

A cocrystal of the antihypertensive drug chlorthalidone (CTD) with caffeine (CAF) was obtained (CTD-CAF) by the slurry method, for which a 2:1 stoichiometric ratio was found by powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Cocrystal CTD-CAF showed a supramolecular organization in which CAF molecules are embedded in channels of a 3D network of CTD molecules. The advantage of the cocrystal in comparison to CTD is reflected in a threefold solubility increase and in the dose/solubility ratios, which diminished from near-unit values for D0D to 0.29 for D0CC. Furthermore, dissolution experiments under non-sink conditions showed improved performance of CTD-CAF compared with pure CTD. Subsequent studies showed that CTD-CAF cocrystals transform to CTD form I where CTD precipitation inhibition could be achieved in the presence of pre-dissolved polymer HPMC 80-120 cPs, maintaining supersaturation drug concentrations for at least 180 min. Finally, dissolution experiments under sink conditions unveiled that the CTD-CAF cocrystal induced, in pH-independent manner, faster and more complete CTD dissolution when compared to commercial tablets of CTD. Due to the stability and dissolution behavior of the novel CTD-CAF cocrystal, it could be used to develop solid dosage forms using a lower CTD dose to obtain the same therapeutic response and fewer adverse effects.

Nanoconfinement of a Pharmaceutical Cocrystal with Praziquantel in Mesoporous Silica: The Influence of the Solid Form on Dissolution Enhancement.

Nanoconfinement is a recent strategy to enhance solubility and dissolution of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) with poor biopharmaceutical properties. In this work, we combine the advantage of cocrystals of racemic praziquantel (PZQ) containing a water-soluble coformer (i.e., increased solubility and supersaturation) and its confinement in a mesoporous silica material (i.e., increased dissolution rate). Among various potential cocrystalline phases of PZQ with dicarboxylic acid coformers, the cocrystal with glutaric acid (PZQ-GLU) was selected and successfully loaded by the melting method into nanopores of SBA-15 (experimental pore size of 5.6 nm) as suggested by physical and spectroscopic characterization using various complementary techniques like N2 adsorption, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), solid-state NMR (ss-NMR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) analysis. The PZQ-GLU phase confined in SBA-15 presents more mobility according to ss-NMR studies but still retains its cocrystal-like features in the IR spectra, and it also shows depression of the melting transition temperature in DSC. On the contrary, pristine PZQ loaded into SBA-15 was found only in the amorphous state, according to the aforementioned studies. This dissimilar behavior of the composites was attributed to the larger crystal lattice of PZQ over the PZQ-GLU cocrystal (3320.1 vs 1167.9 Å3) and to stronger intermolecular interactions between PZQ and GLU, facilitating the confinement of a more mobile solid-like phase in the constrained channels. Powder dissolution studies under extremely nonsink conditions (SI = 0.014) of the confined PZQ-GLU and amorphous PZQ phases embedded in mesoporous silica showed transient supersaturation behavior when dissolving in simulated gastric fluid (HCl pH 1.2 at 37 ± 0.5 °C) in a similar fashion to the bare cocrystal PZQ-GLU. A comparison of the area under the curve (AUC0-90 min) of the dissolution profiles afforded a dissolution advantage of 2-fold (p < 0.05) of the new solid phases over pristine racemic PZQ after 90 min; under these conditions, the solubilized API reprecipitated as the recently discovered PZQ hemihydrate (PZQ-HH). In the presence of a cellulosic polymer, sustained solubilization of PZQ from composites SBA-15/PZQ or SBA-15/PZQ-GLU was observed, increasing AUC0-90 min up to 5.1-fold in comparison to pristine PZQ. The combination of a confined solid phase in mesoporous silica and a methylcellulose polymer in the dissolution medium effectively maintained the drug solubilized during times significant to promote absorption. Finally, powder dissolution studies under intermediate nonsink conditions (SI = 1.99) showed a fast release profile from the nanoconfined PZQ-GLU phase in SBA-15, which reached rapid saturation (95% drug dissolved at 30 min); the amorphous PZQ composite and bare PZQ-GLU also displayed an immediate release of the API but at a lower rate (69% drug dissolved at 30 min). In all of these cases, a large dissolution advantage was observed from any of the novel solid phases over PZQ.

Boron-Nitrogen Double Tweezers Comprising Arylboronic Esters and Diamines: Self-Assembly in Solution and Adaptability as Hosts for Aromatic Guests in the Solid State.

The thermodynamic stability of 1 : 1 and 2 : 1 boron-nitrogen (B←N) adducts formed between aromatic boronic esters with mono- and diamines was studied in solution by NMR and UV-vis spectroscopy with association energies (ΔG°) ranging from -11 to -28 kJ mol-1 . The effect of different substituents in the boronic ester, the nature of the diamine linker, and the effect of the solvent was explored. Stable 2 : 1 B←N adducts with diamines such as 1,3-diaminopropane were produced in solutions of hydrogen-bonding acceptor solvents (acetonitrile and ethyl acetate), which can be isolated in the solid state as crystalline solvates, whereas the use of noncoordinating solvents such as 1,2-dichloroethane afforded mainly 1 : 1 B←N adducts. In suitable combinations, aromatic bis-pyridyl diamines produced stable 2 : 1 B←N adducts that were isolated either as solvent-free solids, solvates, or cocrystals. In these crystalline forms, double-tweezer hosts were observed with an exceptional syn/anti conformational guest-adaptability driven by simultaneous donor-acceptor and C-H⋅⋅⋅π interactions in the tweezer cavities, resembling preorganized covalent tweezer hosts. Interestingly, cocrystals with electron-rich guests such as tetrathiafulvalene and pyrene showed non-centrosymmetric crystal lattices with infinite π-stacked donor-acceptor columns.

Dissolution Advantage of Nitazoxanide Cocrystals in the Presence of Cellulosic Polymers.

The effect of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and methylcellulose (Methocel® 60 HG) on the dissolution behavior of two cocrystals derived from nitazoxanide (NTZ), viz., nitazoxanide-glutaric acid (NTZ-GLU, 1:1) and nitazoxanide-succinic acid (NTZ-SUC, 2:1), was explored. Powder dissolution experiments under non-sink conditions showed similar dissolution profiles for the cocrystals and pure NTZ. However, pre-dissolved cellulosic polymer in the phosphate dissolution medium (pH 7.5) modified the dissolution profile of NTZ when starting from the cocrystals, achieving transient drug supersaturation. Subsequent dissolution studies under sink conditions of polymer-based pharmaceutical powder formulations with NTZ-SUC cocrystals gave a significant improvement of the apparent solubility of NTZ when compared with analogous formulations of pure NTZ and the physical mixture of NTZ and SUC. Scanning electron microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction analysis of samples recovered after the powder dissolution studies showed that the cocrystals undergo fast dissolution, drug supersaturation and precipitation both in the absence and presence of polymer, suggesting that the solubilization enhancement is due to polymer-induced delay of nucleation and crystal growth of the less soluble NTZ form. The study demonstrates that the incorporation of an appropriate excipient in adequate concentration can be a key factor for inducing and maintaining the solubilization of poorly soluble drugs starting from co-crystallized solid forms. In such a way, cocrystals can be suitable for the development of solid dosage forms with improved bioavailability and efficacy in the treatment of important parasitic and viral diseases, among others.

Channel Confinement of Aromatic Petrochemicals via Aryl-Perfluoroaryl Interactions With a B←N Host.

We report channel confinement properties of an electron-deficient boron host derived from the orthogonal B←N interaction between a boronic ester and trans-pentafluorostilbazole. The boron host forms one-dimensional channels in the crystalline solid state when crystallized with common electron-rich aromatic petrochemicals (i.e., benzene, toluene, o-xylene) to form solvates and a cocrystal with stilbene. Molecular confinement of the electron-rich molecules in the solids is achieved through a combination of aryl-perfluoroaryl interactions (π-πF) and hydrogen bonds.

Exploiting Boron Coordination: B←N Bond Supports a [2+2] Photodimerization in the Solid State and Generation of a Diboron Bis-Tweezer for Benzene/Thiophene Separation.

B←N coordination supports a [2+2] photodimerization in the solid state. The bond is defined by an orthogonal interaction between stilbazole and a phenylboronic ester to enable a stereocontrolled and rapid photoreaction. The cyclobutane photoproduct affords a novel diboron bis-tweezer adduct that is used to separate a mixture of benzene and thiophene upon crystallization.

Interrelation of the dissolution behavior and solid-state features of acetazolamide cocrystals.

The thermal behavior, phase stability, indicative stability and intrinsic dissolution rates of a series of cocrystals and cocrystal hydrates derived from the pharmaceutically active ingredient acetazolamide (ACZ) and 2-aminobenzamide (2ABAM), 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (23DHBA), 2-hydroxybenzamide (2HBAM), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4HBA), nicotinamide (NAM) and picolinamide (PAM) as cocrystal formers have been evaluated. Upon heating in an inert atmosphere most of the cocrystals tested demonstrated first the elimination of the crystal former, followed by ACZ degradation. Only in cocrystals with NAM was melting observed. Under controlled temperature and relative humidity conditions all cocrystals tested were stable. However, phase stability tests in a medium simulating physiological conditions (HCl 0.01N, pH2.0) indicated that cocrystals ACZ-NAM-H2O and ACZ-PAM gradually transform into ACZ. All cocrystals examined gave enhanced intrinsic dissolution rates when compared to pure ACZ and the largest dissolution rate constants were measured for the cocrystals that transformed in the phase stability test (approximate two-fold increase of the dissolution rate constants). The series of cocrystals examined herein exhibits an inverse correlation between the intrinsic dissolution rates and the melting/decomposition temperatures as well as the dimension of the hydrogen-bonded ACZ aggregates found in the corresponding crystal structure, indicating that solid-state stability is the major influence on dissolution performance.

Molecular recognition of cationic phenothiazinium and phenoxazinium dyes with pi-extended 2'-deoxyadenosine nucleotides.

N(6)-(N'-Arylcarbamoyl)-2'-deoxyadenosine-H-phosphonates displayed molecular recognition towards cationic phenothiazinium and phenoxazinium dyes in aqueous solutions; studies have shown that binding is driven mainly by aromatic interactions and that size and shape-complementarity of the aromatic rings in host and guest provides selectivity.

Macrocyclic diorganotin complexes of gamma-amino acid dithiocarbamates as hosts for ion-pair recognition.

The dimethyl-, di-n-butyl-, and diphenyltin(IV) dithiocarbamate (dtc) complexes [{R2Sn(L-dtc)}x] 1-7 (1, L = L1, R = Me; 2, L = L1, R = n-Bu; 3, L = L2, R = Me, x = infinity; 4, L = L2, R = n-Bu; 5, L = L3, R = Me, x = 2; 6, L = L3, R = n-Bu, x = 2; 7, L = L3, R = Ph, x = 2) have been prepared from a series of secondary amino acid (AA) homologues as starting materials: N-benzylglycine (alpha-AA derivative = L1), N-benzyl-3-aminopropionic acid (beta-AA derivative = L2), and N-benzyl-4-aminobutyric acid (gamma-AA derivative = L3). The resulting compounds have been characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, IR and NMR ((1)H, (13)C, and (119)Sn) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray crystallography, showing that in all complexes both functional groups of the heteroleptic ligands are coordinated to the tin atoms. By X-ray diffraction analysis, it could be shown that [{Me2Sn(L2-dtc)}x] (3) is polymeric in the solid state, while the complexes derived from L3 (5-7) have dinuclear 18-membered macrocyclic structures of the composition [{R2Sn(L3-dtc)}2]. For the remaining compounds, it could not be established with certainty whether the structures are macrocyclic or polymeric. A theoretical investigation at the B3LYP/SBKJC(d,p) level of theory indicated that the alpha-AA-dtc complexes might have trinuclear macrocyclic structures. The macrocyclic complexes 5-7 have a double-calix-shaped conformation with two cavities large enough for the inclusion of aliphatic and aromatic guest molecules. They are self-complementary for the formation of supramolecuar synthons that give rise to 1D molecular arrangements in the solid state. Preliminary recognition experiments with tetrabutylammonium acetate have shown that the [{R2Sn(L3-dtc)}2] macrocycles 6 and 7 might interact simultaneously with anions (AcO(-)), which coordinate to the tin atoms, and organic cations (TBA(+)), which accommodate within the hydrophobic cavity (ion-pair recognition).

24- and 26-membered macrocyclic diorganotin(IV) bis-dithiocarbamate complexes with N,N'-disubstituted 1,3- and 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)benzene and 1,1'-bis(aminomethyl)ferrocene as spacer groups.

The potassium bis-dithiocarbamate (bis-dtc) salts of 1,3-bis(benzylaminomethyl)benzene (1,3-Bn-ambdtc), 1,3-bis(iso-butylaminomethyl)benzene (1,3-(i)Bu-ambdtc), 1,4-bis(benzylaminomethyl)benzene (1,4-Bn-ambdtc), and 1,4-bis(iso-butylaminomethyl)benzene (1,4-(i)Bu-ambdtc) were reacted with three different diorganotin dichlorides (R2SnCl2 with R = Me, (n)Bu, and Ph) in 1:1 stoichiometric ratios to give the corresponding diorganotin bis-dithiocarbamates. Additionally, the dimethyltin bis-dithiocarbamate of 1,1'-bis(benzylaminomethyl)ferrocene (1,1'-Bn-amfdtc) was prepared. The resulting complexes have been characterized as far as possible by elemental analysis, FAB(+) mass spectrometry, IR and NMR ((1)H, (13)C, and (119)Sn) spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, showing that the tin complexes are dinuclear 24- and 26-membered macrocyclic species of composition [{R2Sn(bis-dtc)}2]. As shown by (119)Sn NMR spectroscopy, the tin centers are hexa-coordinated in all cases; however, two different coordination environments are possible, as detected by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In the dimethyltin derivatives of 1,3-Bn-ambdtc, 1,3-(i)Bu-ambdtc, 1,4-Bn-ambdtc, and 1,1'-Bn-amfdtc and the di-n-butyltin derivative of 1,3-(i)Bu-ambdtc, the metal atoms are embedded in skewed-trapezoidal-bipyramidal coordination polyhedra with asymmetrically coordinating trans-oriented dtc groups. In contrast, in the diphenyltin derivative 1,3-(i)Bu-ambdtc, the metal centers have distorted octahedral coordination with symmetrically coordinating cis-oriented dtc functions. Thus, for the complexes derived from 1,3-Bn/(i)Bu-ambdtc, two different macrocyclic structures were observed. In the dimethyl- and di-n-butyltin derivatives, the bridging bis-dtc ligands adopt U-shaped conformations, while in the case of the diphenyltin derivative, the conformation is L-shaped. Furthermore, two different macrocyclic ring conformations can occur, which differ in the spatial orientation of the substituents attached to the nitrogen atoms (Bn or (i)Bu). The dimethyltin derivatives of 1,4-Bn-ambdtc and 1,1'-Bn-amfdtc have cavities, in which aromatic rings are accommodated in the solid state.

Metal-cation-mediated hydrolysis of phosphonoformate diesters: chemoselectivity and catalysis(1).

Hydrolyses in D(2)O (pD 1.7-3.1) of dimethyl (7), methyl phenyl (8), phenyl methyl (9), and diphenyl (10) phosphonoformate diesters are substantially accelerated by Ce(IV), Th(IV), Zr(IV), and Hf(IV) cations. Chemoselectivity is observed, whereby Zr(IV) and Hf(IV) principally direct P-OR hydrolysis, whereas Th(IV) and Ce(IV) mainly direct C-OR hydrolysis. Leaving group efficiency (OMe vs OPh) modulates the chemoselectivity. The metal cations also mediate further hydrolytic reactions of the initially produced phosphonoformate monoesters 14, 15, 18, and 20. The origins of the P-OR/C-OR selectivity are discussed in terms of the metal cation hydroxo species likely to be present in solution and the kinetics of the reactions.

A porphyrin C-nucleoside incorporated into DNA.

[reaction: see text] A free porphyrin coupled on 2-deoxy-D-ribose was synthesized and incorporated into DNA via phosphoramidite chemistry. Substitution at the ends of a 5'-modified self-complementary duplex was found to be thermally and thermodynamically stabilizing. The porphyrin moiety strongly intercalates in the duplex when located near the center, and retains its fluorescence properties in DNA.

Stereochemical study of phosphonothioate cleavage by a metallomicelle.

[reaction: see text] The copper metallomicellar hydrolysis of O-methyl O-4-nitrophenyl phenylphosphonothioate to O-methyl phenylphosphonothioic acid takes place with effectively complete inversion at phosphorus.