The Effect of an Oil/Water Interface on the Nucleation Kinetics and Polymorphism of Glycine

The Effect of an Oil/Water interface on the Nucleation Kinetics and Polymorphism of Glycine

Solid materials, including pharmaceutical compounds, can exist in multiple forms or crystal structures, known as polymorphs. Different polymorphs of the same material can vary in a number of different properties, including solubility, that can affect both the downstream processing and quality/efficacy of the final product. Therefore, polymorph control is an important challenge when developing robust crystallisation processes. One way to direct the nucleation of a desired polymorph is to introduce surface or interfaces into the system.

This project will investigate how an oil interface affects nucleation and polymorph formation of glycine. Glycine is the smallest amino acid and exhibits multiple crystal structures (polymorphs), and despite being extensively studied, there is considerable controversy in literature regarding nucleation mechanisms and polymorph formation. This project uses experiments and classical molecular dynamics simulations to study the impact of oil interfaces on the nucleation kinetics and polymorphic outcome of glycine from aqueous solution.

For more information about the project please contact Dr Karen Johnston (karen.johnston@strath.ac.uk) or Prof. Jan Sefcik (jan.sefcik@strath.ac.uk), at the Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Strathclyde.

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