Solid state investigation of mefloquine hydrochloride

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Chemistry
• Solid-State Chemistry

Background:

• Mefloquine hydrochloride is an antimalarial drug.
• Understanding its solid-state properties is crucial for formulation and stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of crystallization conditions on mefloquine hydrochloride's solid forms.
• To characterize the resulting crystal structures and their stability.

Main Methods:

• Crystallization under varied conditions.
• Thermal analysis (e.g., DSC, TGA).
• Infrared (IR) spectroscopy.
• X-ray diffraction (XRD).

Main Results:

• Different crystallization conditions produced distinct crystal structures.
• Identified forms include hydrates (alpha, delta), polymorphs (beta, gamma), and solvates (epsilon - acetone, theta - tetrahydrofuran).
• Alpha, delta, and theta forms transformed during storage; heat treatment of delta, epsilon, and theta yielded a new structure.

Conclusions:

• Mefloquine hydrochloride exhibits polymorphism and solvation, influenced by crystallization parameters.
• The stability of different solid forms varies, with potential for transformation under storage or thermal stress.
• Controlled crystallization and heat treatment can generate novel crystal structures.