Crystal size, shape, and conformational changes drive both the disappearance and reappearance of ritonavir polymorphs in the mill.

Organic compounds can crystallize in different forms known as polymorphs. Discovery and control of polymorphism is crucial to the pharmaceutical industry since different polymorphs can have significantly different physical properties which impacts their utilization in drug delivery. Certain polymorphs have been reported to 'disappear' from the physical world, irreversibly converting to new ones. These unwanted polymorph conversions, initially prevented by slow nucleation kinetics, are eventually observed driven by significant gains in thermodynamic stabilities. The most infamous of these cases is that of the HIV drug ritonavir (RVR): Once its reluctant form was unwillingly nucleated for the first time, its desired form could no longer be produced with the same manufacturing process. Here we show that RVR's extraordinary disappearing polymorph as well as its reluctant form can be consistently produced by ball-milling under different environmental conditions. We demonstrate that the significant difference in stability between its polymorphs can be changed and reversed in the mill-a process we show is driven by crystal size as well as crystal shape and conformational effects. We also show that those effects can be controlled through careful design of milling conditions since they dictate the kinetics of crystal breakage, dissolution, and growth processes that eventually lead to steady-state crystal sizes and shapes in the mill. This work highlights the huge potential of mechanochemistry in polymorph discovery of forms initially difficult to nucleate, recovery of disappearing polymorphs, and polymorph control of complex flexible drug compounds such as RVR.

Unravelling Guest Dynamics in Crystalline Molecular Organics Using 2H Solid-State NMR and Molecular Dynamics Simulation.

2H solid-state NMR and atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to understand the disorder of guest solvent molecules in two cocrystal solvates of the pharmaceutical furosemide. Traditional approaches to interpreting the NMR data fail to provide a coherent model of molecular behavior and indeed give misleading kinetic data. In contrast, the direct prediction of the NMR properties from MD simulation trajectories allows the NMR data to be correctly interpreted in terms of combined jump-type and libration-type motions. Time-independent component analysis of the MD trajectories provides additional insights, particularly for motions that are invisible to NMR. This allows a coherent picture of the dynamics of molecules restricted in molecular-sized cavities to be determined.

Revisiting the Van Vleck second moment for characterizing molecular motion in organic solids.

Van Vleck's classic theory of the second moment of lineshapes in 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is reworked in a form that allows the effect of rapid molecular motion on second moments to be calculated in a semi-analytical fashion. This is much more efficient than existing approaches and also extends previous analyses of (non-dynamic) dipolar networks in terms of site-specific root-sum-square dipolar couplings. The non-local nature of the second moment means that it can discriminate between overall motions that are difficult to discriminate using alternative approaches, such as measurements of NMR relaxation. The value of reviving second moment studies is illustrated on the plastic solids diamantane and triamantane. In the case of triamantane, straightforward measurements of 1H lineshapes on milligram samples show that the molecules in the higher temperature phase undergo multi-axis jumps, information that is not accessible either to diffraction studies or to alternative NMR approaches. The efficiency of the computational methods means that the second moments can be calculated using a readily extensible and open-source Python code.

A study of the dynamics and structure of the dielectric anomaly within the molecular solid TEA(TCNQ)2.

With rising interest in organic-based functional materials, it is important to understand the nature of magnetic and electrical transitions within these types of systems. One intriguing material is triethylammonium bis-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TEA(TCNQ)2) where there is an order-disorder transition at ∼220 K. This work focuses on novel neutron scattering techniques to understand the motion of the TEA cations at this transition and explain why we see the dielectric behaviour and possible ferroelectricity within this type of system. We show that the motion of the methyl groups of the TEA cation is spatially restricted below 220 K, whereas above the dielectric anomaly at 220 K, they are free to re-orientate, which ultimately leads to some rich behaviour that could be further exploited. Lastly, we also study the dynamics at this transition using a variety of additional techniques, helping to provide a consistent picture of the motions of the cations.

Characterization of crystalline and amorphous forms of irbesartan by multi-nuclear solid-state NMR.

Irbesartan (IRB) is an antihypertensive drug which exhibits the rare phenomenon of desmotropy; its 1H- and 2H- tetrazole tautomers can be isolated as distinct crystalline forms. The crystalline forms of IRB are poorly soluble, hence the amorphous form is potentially of interest for its faster dissolution rate. The tautomeric form and the nature of hydrogen bonding in amorphous IRB are unknown. In this study, crystalline form A and amorphous form of irbesartan were studied using 13C, 15N and 1H solid-state NMR. Variable-temperature 13C SSMNR studies showed alkyl chain disorder in the crystalline form of IRB, which may explain the conflicting literature crystal structures of form A (the marketed form). 15N NMR indicates that the amorphous material contains an approximately 2:1 ratio of 1H- and 2H-tetrazole tautomers. Static 1H SSNMR and relaxation time measurements confirmed different molecular mobilities of the samples and provided molecular-level insight into the nature of the glass transition. SSNMR is shown to be a powerful technique to investigate the solid state of disordered active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Towards Accurate Predictions of Proton NMR Spectroscopic Parameters in Molecular Solids.

The factors contributing to the accuracy of quantum-chemical calculations for the prediction of proton NMR chemical shifts in molecular solids are systematically investigated. Proton chemical shifts of six solid amino acids with hydrogen atoms in various bonding environments (CH, CH2 , CH3 , OH, SH and NH3 ) were determined experimentally using ultra-fast magic-angle spinning and proton-detected 2D NMR experiments. The standard DFT method commonly used for the calculations of NMR parameters of solids is shown to provide chemical shifts that deviate from experiment by up to 1.5 ppm. The effects of the computational level (hybrid DFT functional, coupled-cluster calculation, inclusion of relativistic spin-orbit coupling) are thoroughly discussed. The effect of molecular dynamics and nuclear quantum effects are investigated using path-integral molecular dynamics (PIMD) simulations. It is demonstrated that the accuracy of the calculated proton chemical shifts is significantly better when these effects are included in the calculations.

Proton transfer in guanine-cytosine base pair analogues studied by NMR spectroscopy and PIMD simulations.

It has been hypothesised that proton tunnelling between paired nucleobases significantly enhances the formation of rare tautomeric forms and hence leads to errors in DNA replication. Here, we study nuclear quantum effects (NQEs) using deuterium isotope-induced changes of nitrogen NMR chemical shifts in a model base pair consisting of two tautomers of isocytosine, which form hydrogen-bonded dimers in the same way as the guanine-cytosine base pair. Isotope effects in NMR are consequences of NQEs, because ro-vibrational averaging of different isotopologues gives rise to different magnetic shielding of the nuclei. The experimental deuterium-induced chemical shift changes are compared with those calculated by a combination of path integral molecular dynamics (PIMD) simulations with DFT calculations of nuclear shielding. These calculations can directly link the observable isotope-induced shifts with NQEs. A comparison of the deuterium-induced changes of 15N chemical shifts with those predicted by PIMD simulations shows that inter-base proton transfer reactions do not take place in this system. We demonstrate, however, that NMR isotope shifts provide a unique possibility to study NQEs and to evaluate the accuracy of the computational methods used for modelling quantum effects in molecules. Calculations based on the PBE functional from the general-gradient-approximation family provided significantly worse predictions of deuterium isotope shifts than those with the hybrid B3LYP functional.

Perspective: Current advances in solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

In contrast to the rapid and revolutionary impact of solution-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) on modern chemistry, the field of solid-state NMR has matured more slowly. This reflects the major technical challenges of much reduced spectral resolution and sensitivity in solid-state as compared to solution-state spectra, as well as the relative complexity of the solid state. In this perspective, we outline the technique developments that have pushed resolution to intrinsic limits and the approaches, including ongoing major developments in the field of Dynamic Nuclear Polarisation, that have enhanced spectral sensitivity. The information on local structure and dynamics that can be obtained using these gains in sensitivity and resolution is illustrated with a diverse range of examples from large biomolecules to energy materials and pharmaceuticals and from both ordered and highly disordered materials. We discuss how parallel developments in quantum chemical calculation, particularly density functional theory, have enabled experimental data to be translated directly into information on local structure and dynamics, giving rise to the developing field of "NMR crystallography."

Rationalising Heteronuclear Decoupling in Refocussing Applications of Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy.

Factors affecting the performance of 1 H heteronuclear decoupling sequences for magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy of organic solids are explored, as observed by time constants for the decay of nuclear magnetisation under a spin-echo (T2' ). By using a common protocol over a wide range of experimental conditions, including very high magnetic fields and very high radio-frequency (RF) nutation rates, decoupling performance is observed to degrade consistently with increasing magnetic field. Inhomogeneity of the RF field is found to have a significant impact on T2' values, with differences of about 20 % observed between probes with different coil geometries. Increasing RF nutation rates dramatically improve robustness with respect to RF offset, but the performance of phase-modulated sequences degrades at the very high nutation rates achievable in microcoils as a result of RF transients. The insights gained provide better understanding of the factors limiting decoupling performance under different conditions, and the high values of T2' observed (which generally exceed previous literature values) provide reference points for experiments involving spin magnetisation refocussing, such as 2D correlation spectra and measuring small spin couplings.

Exploring Systematic Discrepancies in DFT Calculations of Chlorine Nuclear Quadrupole Couplings.

Previous studies have revealed significant discrepancies between density functional theory (DFT)-calculated and experimental nuclear quadrupolar coupling constants (CQ) for chlorine atoms, particularly in ionic solids. Various aspects of the computations are systematically investigated here, including the choice of the DFT functional, basis set convergence, and geometry optimization protocol. The effects of fast (fs) time-scale dynamics are probed using molecular dynamics (MD) and nuclear quantum effects (NQEs) are considered using path-integral MD calculations. It is shown that the functional choice is the most important factor related to improving the accuracy of the quadrupolar coupling calculations, and that functionals beyond the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) level, such as hybrid and meta-GGA functionals, are required for good correlations with experiment. The influence of molecular dynamics and NQEs is less important than the functional choice in the studied systems. A method which involves scaling the calculated quadrupolar coupling constant is proposed here; its application leads to good agreement with experimental data.

Characterization of Two Distinct Amorphous Forms of Valsartan by Solid-State NMR.

Valsartan (VAL) is an antihypertensive drug marketed in an amorphous form. Amorphous materials can have different physicochemical properties depending on preparation method, thermal history, etc., but the nature of such materials is difficult to study by diffraction techniques. This study characterizes two different amorphous forms of valsartan (AR and AM) using solid-state NMR (SSNMR) as a primary investigation tool, supported by solution-state NMR, FT-IR, TMDSC, and dissolution tests. The two forms are found to be clearly distinct, with a significantly higher level of structural arrangement in the AR form, as observed in (13)C, (15)N, and (1)H SSNMR. (13)C and (15)N NMR indicates that the fully amorphous material (AM) contains an approximately equal ratio of cis-trans conformers about the amide bond, whereas the AR form exists mainly as one conformer, with minor conformational "defects". (1)H ultrafast MAS NMR shows significant differences in the hydrogen bonding involving the tetrazole and acid hydrogens between the two materials, while (15)N NMR shows that both forms exist as a 1,2,3,4-tetrazole tautomer. NMR relaxation times show subtle differences in local and bulk molecular mobility, which can be connected with the glass transition, the stability of the glassy material, and its response to aging. Counterintuitively the fully amorphous material is found to have a significantly lower dissolution rate than the apparently more ordered AR material.

Visualization and processing of computed solid-state NMR parameters: MagresView and MagresPython.

We introduce two open source tools to aid the processing and visualisation of ab-initio computed solid-state NMR parameters. The Magres file format for computed NMR parameters (as implemented in CASTEP v8.0 and QuantumEspresso v5.0.0) is implemented. MagresView is built upon the widely used Jmol crystal viewer, and provides an intuitive environment to display computed NMR parameters. It can provide simple pictorial representation of one- and two-dimensional NMR spectra as well as output a selected spin-system for exact simulations with dedicated spin-dynamics software. MagresPython provides a simple scripting environment to manipulate large numbers of computed NMR parameters to search for structural correlations.

Bisoprolol and bisoprolol-valsartan compatibility studied by differential scanning calorimetry, nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray powder diffractometry.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the thermal behavior of crystalline and amorphous bisoprolol fumarate and its compatibility with amorphous valsartan. This pharmacologically relevant drug combination is a potential candidate for fixed-dose combination formulation. METHODS: DSC and TMDSC were used to examine thermal behavior of bisoprolol fumarate. SSNMR and XRPD were applied to probe the solid state forms. The thermal behavior of physical mixtures with different concentrations of bisoprolol and valsartan were examined by DSC and TMDSC, and the observed interactions were investigated by XRPD, solution- and solid-state NMR. RESULTS: The phase transitions from thermal methods and solid-state NMR spectra of crystalline and amorphous bisoprolol fumarate are reported. Strong interactions between bisoprolol fumarate and valsartan were observed above 60 C, resulting in the formation of a new amorphous material. Solution- and solid-state NMR provided insight into the molecular nature of the incompatibility. CONCLUSIONS: A combined analysis of thermal methods, solution- and solid-state NMR and XRPD experiments allowed the investigation of the conformational and dynamic properties of bisoprolol fumarate. Since bisoprolol fumarate and valsartan react to form a new amorphous product, formulation of a fixed-dose combination would require separate reservoirs for bisoprolol and valsartan to prevent interactions. Similar problems might be expected with other excipients or APIs containing carboxylic groups.

Solid-state NMR and computational investigation of solvent molecule arrangement and dynamics in isostructural solvates of droperidol.

(13)C, (15)N and (2)H solid-state NMR spectroscopy have been used to rationalize arrangement and dynamics of solvent molecules in a set of isostructural solvates of droperidol. The solvent molecules are determined to be dynamically disordered in the methanol and ethanol solvates, while they are ordered in the acetonitrile and nitromethane solvates. (2)H NMR spectra of deuterium-labelled samples allowed the characterization of the solvent molecule dynamics in the alcohol solvates and the non-stoichiometric hydrate. The likely motion of the alcohol molecules is rapid libration within a site, plus occasional exchange into an equivalent site related by the inversion symmetry, while the water molecules are more strongly disordered. DFT calculations strongly suggest that the differences in dynamics between the solvates are related to differences in the energetic penalty for reversing the orientation of a solvent molecule.

Simulating spin dynamics in organic solids under heteronuclear decoupling.

Although considerable progress has been made in simulating the dynamics of multiple coupled nuclear spins, predicting the evolution of nuclear magnetisation in the presence of radio-frequency decoupling remains challenging. We use exact numerical simulations of the spin dynamics under simultaneous magic-angle spinning and RF decoupling to determine the extent to which numerical simulations can be used to predict the experimental performance of heteronuclear decoupling for the CW, TPPM and XiX sequences, using the methylene group of glycine as a model system. The signal decay times are shown to be strongly dependent on the largest spin order simulated. Unexpectedly large differences are observed between the dynamics with and without spin echoes. Qualitative trends are well reproduced by modestly sized spin system simulations, and the effects of finite spin-system size can, in favourable cases, be mitigated by extrapolation. Quantitative prediction of the behaviour in complex parameter spaces is found, however, to be very challenging, suggesting that there are significant limits to the role of numerical simulations in RF decoupling problems, even when specialist techniques, such as state-space restriction, are used.

Effects of quantum nuclear delocalisation on NMR parameters from path integral molecular dynamics.

The influence of nuclear delocalisation on NMR chemical shifts in molecular organic solids is explored using path integral molecular dynamics (PIMD) and density functional theory calculations of shielding tensors. Nuclear quantum effects are shown to explain previously observed systematic deviations in correlations between calculated and experimental chemical shifts, with particularly large PIMD-induced changes (up to 23 ppm) observed for carbon atoms in methyl groups. The PIMD approach also enables isotope substitution effects on chemical shifts and J couplings to be predicted in excellent agreement with experiment for both isolated molecules and molecular crystals. An approach based on convoluting calculated shielding or coupling surfaces with probability distributions of selected bond distances and valence angles obtained from PIMD simulations is used to calculate isotope effects.

NMR characterisation of dynamics in solvates and desolvates of formoterol fumarate.

Solid-state NMR is used to characterise dynamics in the ethanol solvate of the pharmaceutical material formoterol fumarate and its associated desolvate. Jump rates and activation barriers for dynamic processes such as phenyl ring rotation and methyl group rotational diffusion are derived from 1D-EXSY and (13)C spin-lattice relaxation times respectively. (2)H and (13)C spin-lattice relaxation times measured under magic-angle spinning conditions are used to show that the fumarate ion in the desolvate is undergoing small-amplitude motion on a frequency scale of 100s of MHz at ambient temperature with an activation parameter of about 32 kJ mol(-1). Exact calculations of relaxation times under MAS provide a simple and robust means to test motional models in cases where relaxation rate maxima are observed, including for systems where the crystal structure of the material is unknown.

Spectroscopic and structural characterization of the CyNHC adduct of B2pin2 in solution and in the solid state.

The Lewis base adduct of B(2)pin(2) and the NHC (1,3-bis(cyclohexyl)imidazol-2-ylidene), which was proposed to act as a source of nucleophilic boryl groups in the ß-borylation of α,ß-unsaturated ketones, has been isolated, and its solid state structure and solution behavior was studied. In solution, the binding is weak, and NMR spectroscopy reveals a rapid exchange of the NHC between the two boron centers. DFT calculations reveal that the exchange involves dissociation and reassociation of NHC rather than an intramolecular process.

Unexpected effects of third-order cross-terms in heteronuclear spin systems under simultaneous radio-frequency irradiation and magic-angle spinning NMR.

We recently noted [R. K. Harris, P. Hodgkinson, V. Zorin, J.-N. Dumez, B. Elena, L. Emsley, E. Salager, and R. Stein, Magn. Reson. Chem. 48, S103 (2010)] anomalous shifts in apparent (1)H chemical shifts in experiments using (1)H homonuclear decoupling sequences to acquire high-resolution (1)H NMR spectra for organic solids under magic-angle spinning (MAS). Analogous effects were also observed in numerical simulations of model (13)C,(1)H spin systems under homonuclear decoupling and involving large (13)C,(1)H dipolar couplings. While the heteronuclear coupling is generally assumed to be efficiently suppressed by sample spinning at the magic angle, we show that under conditions typically used in solid-state NMR, there is a significant third-order cross-term from this coupling under the conditions of simultaneous MAS and homonuclear decoupling for spins directly bonded to (1)H. This term, which is of the order of 100 Hz under typical conditions, explains the anomalous behaviour observed on both (1)H and (13)C spins, including the fast dephasing observed in (13)C{(1)H} heteronuclear spin-echo experiments under (1)H homonuclear decoupling. Strategies for minimising the impact of this effect are also discussed.

NMR characterisation of structure in solvates and polymorphs of formoterol fumarate.

The solid-state structures of two polymorphs and two alcoholates (ethanol and isopropanol) of formoterol fumarate have been investigated by a combination of NMR techniques. First-principles shielding computations are combined with NMR data to successfully relate peaks to their crystallographic positions for the solvates, including atoms that are in equivalent molecular positions. The uncharacterised structure of the asolvate form C is found to contain a single formoterol ion and half a fumarate ion in its asymmetric unit. HETCOR experiments for the ethanolate and form C allow proton chemical shifts to be determined and give improved (13)C resolution for the former compound. Desolvation of the solvates to form C has been monitored under the conditions of the NMR experiment. Differential rates of phenylene ring flipping are observed in the different forms. Carbon-13 relaxation times and (2)H NMR are used to probe dynamics of the fumarate ion.