Near-infrared spectroscopy for cocrystal screening: a comparative study with Raman spectroscopy

Morten Allesø, Sitaram Velaga, Amjad Alhalaweh, Claus Cornett, Morten Arendt Rasmussen, Franciscus Winfried J Van Der Berg, Heidi Lopez de Diego, Jukka Rantanen

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    Abstract

    Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a well-established technique for solid-state analysis, providing fast, noninvasive measurements. The use of NIR spectroscopy for polymorph screening and the associated advantages have recently been demonstrated. The objective of this work was to evaluate the analytical potential of NIR spectroscopy for cocrystal screening using Raman spectroscopy as a comparative method. Indomethacin was used as the parent molecule, while saccharin and l-aspartic acid were chosen as guest molecules. Molar ratios of 1:1 for each system were subjected to two types of preparative methods. In the case of saccharin, liquid-assisted cogrinding as well as cocrystallization from solution resulted in a stable 1:1 cocrystalline phase termed IND-SAC cocrystal. For l-aspartic acid, the solution-based method resulted in a polymorphic transition of indomethacin into the metastable alpha form retained in a physical mixture with the guest molecule, while liquid-assisted cogrinding did not induce any changes in the crystal lattice. The good chemical peak selectivity of Raman spectroscopy allowed a straightforward interpretation of sample data by analyzing peak positions and comparing to those of pure references. In addition, Raman spectroscopy provided additional information on the crystal structure of the IND-SAC cocrystal. The broad spectral line shapes of NIR spectra make visual interpretation of the spectra difficult, and consequently, multivariate modeling by principal component analysis (PCA) was applied. Successful use of NIR/PCA was possible only through the inclusion of a set of reference mixtures of parent and guest molecules representing possible solid-state outcomes from the cocrystal screening. The practical hurdle related to the need for reference mixtures seems to restrict the applicability of NIR spectroscopy in cocrystal screening.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalAnalytical Chemistry
    Volume80
    Issue number20
    Pages (from-to)7755-7764
    Number of pages10
    ISSN0003-2700
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2008

    Keywords

    • Former Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences

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