Ionic Co-Crystals as Drug Release MaterialsÂ
Standing
Undergraduate
Type of Proposal
Oral Research Presentation
Challenges Theme
Open Challenge
Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Nicholas Vukotic
Proposal
Drug discovery is a costly and laborious process. By contrast, the design of new drug formulations is a much more affordable and expeditious strategy that can result in the improvement of the drug's bioavailability, and therefore its efficacy without changing the molecule itself. This project aims to develop materials that will help increase the solubility of hydrophobic drugs. Co-crystallization of drug targets with hydrophilic co-formers results in solid phases that could readily release the drug in aqueous media. This is directly related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 9—allowing this research to promote good health and well-being for all with the improvement of current drug formulations and fostering innovation by discovering new ionic co-crystals to be used for this research. As such, our attention has been drawn towards hydrophilic metal (i.e., Mg, Mn, Zn) salts of 4,4’-diphenylsulfonic acids acting as co-formers and caffeine as a model drug featuring multiple hydrogen donors and acceptors required for intermolecular coordination within the solid state. The materials will be synthesized via solution techniques and characterized via X-ray diffraction techniques to determine the crystal structure, as well as phase purity. Dissolution studies will be conducted on the materials, in order to determine the release rates of the ionic co-crystals with caffeine in the crystal lattice.
Grand Challenges
Viable, Healthy and Safe Communities
Ionic Co-Crystals as Drug Release MaterialsÂ
Drug discovery is a costly and laborious process. By contrast, the design of new drug formulations is a much more affordable and expeditious strategy that can result in the improvement of the drug's bioavailability, and therefore its efficacy without changing the molecule itself. This project aims to develop materials that will help increase the solubility of hydrophobic drugs. Co-crystallization of drug targets with hydrophilic co-formers results in solid phases that could readily release the drug in aqueous media. This is directly related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 9—allowing this research to promote good health and well-being for all with the improvement of current drug formulations and fostering innovation by discovering new ionic co-crystals to be used for this research. As such, our attention has been drawn towards hydrophilic metal (i.e., Mg, Mn, Zn) salts of 4,4’-diphenylsulfonic acids acting as co-formers and caffeine as a model drug featuring multiple hydrogen donors and acceptors required for intermolecular coordination within the solid state. The materials will be synthesized via solution techniques and characterized via X-ray diffraction techniques to determine the crystal structure, as well as phase purity. Dissolution studies will be conducted on the materials, in order to determine the release rates of the ionic co-crystals with caffeine in the crystal lattice.