A tailored graphene supramolecular gel for pharmaceutical crystallization

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Pharmaceutical Science

Background:

• Supramolecular gels offer tunable properties for controlled crystallization.
• Graphene's unique characteristics can be leveraged to modify gel matrices.
• Controlling pharmaceutical polymorphism is crucial for drug efficacy and safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and prepare a graphene-based supramolecular gel for pharmaceutical crystallization control.
• To investigate the influence of graphene incorporation on gel properties and interactions.
• To explore the use of hydroxylated graphene hybrid gels for modulating drug polymorphism.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of pyrene-modified gelators and their noncovalent assembly with graphene.
• Characterization of the graphene-incorporated supramolecular gel using fluorescence spectroscopy and electron microscopy.
• Oxidative modification of graphene to hydroxylated graphene (Gr-OH) and its incorporation into the gel.
• Crystallization studies of glycine, caffeine, and aripiprazole using the Gr-OH hybrid gels.

Main Results:

• A stable graphene-incorporated supramolecular nanocomposite gel was successfully prepared.
• Gr-OH incorporation facilitated hydrogen bonding interactions with drug molecules.
• Different polymorphs of glycine, caffeine, and aripiprazole were obtained compared to solution crystallization.
• The hybrid gel significantly reduced the induction time for caffeine crystallization.

Conclusions:

• Graphene-based supramolecular gels provide an effective platform for controlling pharmaceutical crystallization processes.
• Hydroxylated graphene hybrid gels enable tailored interactions for modulating drug polymorphs and crystallization kinetics.
• This approach holds promise for developing advanced crystallization media in pharmaceutical manufacturing.