Thermodynamics and Solid State Chemistry

Our research is centered in solid state chemistry of organic compounds, aiming at the design, search, and selective preparation of solid forms. Active pharmaceutical ingredients, APIs, are the main targets of research owing to the potential impact of dissimilarities in physico-chemical properties of the different solid forms on API stability and effectiveness.

Engineering multicomponent pharmaceutical solid samples - co-crystals, salts, solvates, solid solutions, binary eutectics - aiming at biopharmaceutical performance improvement or dual-drug therapy, is one the targets of research. A special emphasis is placed on co-crystals investigation, namely on the effect of co-former structural changes and synthon competition on co-crystal formation capability, and on the potential use of co-crystals for chiral resolution.

Polymorphism of organic APIs and other organic compounds (with emphasis on chiral ones, both enantiomers and racemates) is also being addressed. Solvent effects on polymorph crystallization and rationalization of the ability of molecular compounds to give rise to plastic crystal mesophases are topics being investigated.

Polymorphism of organic APIs and other organic compounds (with emphasis on chiral ones, both enantiomers and racemates) is also being addressed. Solvent effects on polymorph crystallization and rationalization of the ability of molecular compounds to give rise to plastic crystal mesophases are topics being investigated.

Coordenador

The Thermodynamics and Solid State Chemistry Laboratory is dedicated to the research and training of human resources in the areas of thermodynamics and solid state chemistry. A multidisciplinary approach using thermal, spectroscopic and computational methods is used in the fundamental and applied investigation of solid forms of organic compounds. Current research is focused on the thermodynamic and structural study of polymorphs and multicomponent pharmaceutical solids, with emphasis on solvent effects in the selective crystallization of polymorphs, on the rationalization of mesophase formation and on the investigation of co-crystals and co-amorphous phases with enhanced biopharmaceutical performance.