Performance comparison of a co-crystal of carbamazepine with marketed product.

The carbamazepine: saccharin co-crystal (1) was studied in terms of a series of attributes, including suitability for multi-gram scale-up, propensity for crystal polymorphism, physical stability, in vitro dissolution and oral bioavailability, with the goal of comparing 1 with the marketed form of carbamazepine (Tegretol). Preparation of 1 was achieved on a 30g scale with a conventional cooling crystallization process from alcohol solution without seeding. The compound is not overtly polymorphic. This finding is in contrast to the form diversity of pure carbamazepine, which has four known polymorphs and a host of solvates, including a dihydrate, which is the stable form in the presence of water. Physical and chemical stability of the co-crystal is also shown to be quantitatively similar to the pure drug in the marketed product (Tegretol). Finally, comparison of oral bioavailability of 1 with Tegretol tablets in dogs shows the co-crystal to be a viable alternative to the anhydrous polymorph in formulated solid oral products. The balance of properties and performance of 1 as a model co-crystal is discussed.

Does alpha-fluorination affect the structural trans-influence and kinetic trans-effect of an alkyl ligand? Molecular structures of Pd(TMEDA)(CH(3))(R(F)) and a kinetic study of the trans to cis isomerization of Pt(TMEDA)(CH(3))(2)I(R(F)) [R(F) = CF(2)CF(3), CFHCF(3), CH(2)CF(3)].

Reaction of Pd(TMEDA)(CH(3))(2) [TMEDA = tetramethylethylenediamine] with fluoroalkyl iodides R(F)I affords a series of square planar Pd(II) complexes Pd(TMEDA)(CH(3))(R(F)) [R(F) = CF(2)CF(3) (9), CFHCF(3) (10), CH(2)CF(3) (11)], presumably by oxidative addition followed by reductive elimination of CH(3)I. The solid-state structures of each compound have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies, allowing the effect of increasing alpha-fluorination on the structural trans-influence of alkyl ligands to be examined. In these compounds there is no significant difference observed in the trans-influence of the three fluorinated alkyl ligands toward the trans-N atom, although a significant cis-influence on the neighboring methyl ligand is apparent. Oxidative addition of the same series of fluoroalkyl ligands to the corresponding Pt(TMEDA)(CH(3))(2) affords octahedral Pt(IV) complexes trans-Pt(TMEDA)(CH(3))(2)(R(F))I [R(F) = CF(2)CF(3) (12), CFHCF(3) (13), CH(2)CF(3) (14)] as the kinetic products. In each case, subsequent isomerization to the corresponding all cis-isomers is observed; in the case of 13, the stereocenter at the alpha-carbon results in two diastereomeric cis-isomers, which are formed at different rates. The molecular structures of 13 and its more stable all cis-isomer 16b have been crystallographically determined. Kinetic studies of the trans-cis isomerization reactions show the mechanism to involve a polar transition state, presumably involving iodide dissociation, followed by rearrangement of the cation, and iodide recombination. High dielectric solvents increase the rate, but solvent coordinating ability has no effect. Dissolved salts (LiI, LiOTf) show normal accelerative salt effects, with no inhibition in the case of added iodide, consistent with the formation of an intimate ion pair intermediate. The kinetic parameters show that the trans-effects of fluoroalkyl ligands in these compounds follow the order expected from the relative sigma-donor properties of the ligands, with CF(2)CF(3) < CFHCF(3) < CH(2)CF(3).