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Construction and Systematical Symmetric Studies of a Series of Supramolecular Clusters with Binary or Ternary Ammonium Triphenylacetates
Published on: February 15, 2016
Exploring the relationship between cocrystal stability and symmetry: is Wallach's rule applicable to multi-component
Tomislav Friscić1, László Fábián, Jonathan C Burley
1Pfizer Institute for Pharmaceutical Materials Science, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.
Racemic cocrystals are more stable than chiral ones. This difference in stability is linked to crystal packing or molecular conformation, impacting solid-state properties.
Area of Science:
- Solid-state chemistry
- Crystallography
- Materials science
Background:
- Chiral compounds exist as enantiomers, forming chiral or racemic mixtures.
- Cocrystals are crystalline solids composed of two or more different molecular components.
- Understanding the stability of different solid forms is crucial for pharmaceutical and materials development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the structural and hydration stability of chiral and racemic binary cocrystals.
- To elucidate the factors influencing the observed stability differences between chiral and racemic forms.
Main Methods:
- Crystallization of binary cocrystals in both chiral and racemic forms.
- Structural analysis using X-ray diffraction.
- Assessment of hydration stability under varying humidity conditions.
Main Results:
- Racemic cocrystals exhibited greater hydration stability compared to their chiral counterparts.
- The study identified distinct contributing factors for stability differences: intermolecular crystal packing in one system and intramolecular molecular conformation in another.
- Structural analysis revealed specific packing arrangements correlating with stability.
Conclusions:
- The stability of cocrystals is influenced by both the chirality of the components and their solid-state arrangement.
- Racemic forms can offer enhanced stability, which is advantageous for practical applications.
- Both intermolecular and intramolecular factors play significant roles in determining cocrystal stability, depending on the specific system.
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