Exploring the thermal behaviour of the solvated structures of nifedipine.

Understanding the solvation and desolvation of pharmaceutical materials is an important part of materials discovery and development. In situ structural data are vital to understand the changes to crystal form that may occur in the system. In this study, the isolation and characterization of seven solvates of the L-type calcium channel antagonist, nifedipine, is described using variable-temperature powder X-ray diffraction so that the structural evolution as a function of temperature can be followed.

Pressure-induced superelastic behaviour of isonicotinamide.

Dynamic organic crystals have come to the fore as potential lightweight alternatives to inorganic actuators providing high weight-to-force ratios. We have observed pressure-induced superelastic behaviour in Form I of isonicotinamide. The reversible single-crystal to single-crystal transformation exhibited by the system is an important component for functioning actuators.

Crystallisation Behaviour of Pharmaceutical Compounds Confined within Mesoporous Silicon.

The poor aqueous solubility of new and existing drug compounds represents a significant challenge in pharmaceutical development, with numerous strategies currently being pursued to address this issue. Amorphous solids lack the repeating array of atoms in the structure and present greater free energy than their crystalline counterparts, which in turn enhances the solubility of the compound. The loading of drug compounds into porous materials has been described as a promising approach for the stabilisation of the amorphous state but is dependent on many factors, including pore size and surface chemistry of the substrate material.