Stella Milazzo

Dexketoprofen trometamol is the tromethamine salt of dexketoprofen [(2S)-2-(3-benzoylphenyl)propanoic acid-2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)propane-1,3-diol], a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used for the treatment of moderate- to strong-intensity acute pain. The crystal structure of the hitherto sole known hydrate phase of dexketoprofen trometamol (DK-T_2H₂O), as determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, is presented. The water molecules are arranged in dimers included in isolated sites and sandwiched between piles of trometamol cations. The molecular and crystal structures of DK-T_2H₂O are analyzed and compared to those of the parent anhydrous crystal form DK-T_A. In both the crystal structures, all the potential H-bond donors and acceptor of the dexketoprofen and trometamol ions are engaged, and both the species crystallize in the P2₁ space group. However, during the DK-T_A➔DK-T_2H₂O hydration process, the unique symmetry axis is not conserved, i.e., the ions are arranged in a different way with respect to the screw axis, even if the two crystal structures maintain structural blocks of DK anions and T cations. Quantum mechanical solid-state calculations provide some hints for the possible intermediate structure during the crystalline–crystalline hydration/dehydration process.

Anisotropic lattice expansion could be a source of misunderstanding in powder pattern recognitions, especially in the case of organic crystals where for the interpretation of room temperature patterns single crystal data at low temperature are usually used. Trying to rationalize the thermal lattice expansion, we studied two close related β-blocker molecules with similar packing in the solid state but with different thermal behavior. Solid state calculations, using the fast and accurate HF-3c method and the quasi harmonic approximation for the simulation of the lattice expansion, were able to reproduce the experimental trends with good accuracy. The complete analysis of the calculated thermal expansion of the two structures, as well as of other structures with similar packing found in a database survey, revealed the primary role of the hydrogen bonds. Secondary non-covalent interactions in the plane perpendicular to the hydrogen bond system could also play a role.

Betaxolol belongs to the class of β1-adrenergic blocking agent. Several polymorphs of racemic betaxolol have been reported in the literature, but only one of them (BE_I) had the crystal structure determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Here, we present a new crystalline phase of betaxolol (BE_IV). Its solid-state structure has been obtained from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The molecular and crystal arrangements of betaxolol in BE_IV have been further investigated by molecular modelling, by Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) surveys and by Hirshfeld surface analysis. A comparison with the solid-state structure of BE_I have been carried out. In the two polymorphs the 2-hydroxy-3-(isopropylamino)-propoxy chain, which is common to other β-blocker drugs, adopts a different conformation. In addition, the rotational isomer found in BE_IV is different with respect to the four already observed in the solid-state structure of analogous compounds. In both the polymorphs, the most significant interaction is due to the H-bonds involving the OH group as donor and the NH as acceptor, while the interaction where OH works as acceptor (NH acts as donor) is definitely less important. The resulting H-bond patterns are however different: Alternate R2,2(10) a > a (OH donors) and R2,2(10) b > b (OH acceptors) in BE_I vs. alternate R4,4 (8) a > b > a > b (OH donors) and R2,2 (10) b > b (OH acceptor) in BE_IV.