Controlled synthesis and structure characterization of a new fluconazole polymorph using analytical techniques and multivariate method

Abstract

In the crystallization and search for higher multicomponent forms of fluconazole (FLZ), a metastable FLZ polymorph (concomitant) that manifests in the same crystallization system and transforms into the stable FLZ form (II) after the lyophilization process was observed. In this report, we demonstrated and showed how this FLZ polymorph 10 (Mw = 306.79 g/mol) of the monoclinic C2 space group was detected and reproduced through a controlled lyophilized experiment, and modeled differentiation between vibrational and absorption modes of FLZ functionalities like C=O, OH, –CH2 and –NH. The FLZ polymorph shows strong O–H···N and weak C−H···X (X = N, and F) hydrogen bond and the presence of pi-pi bond interactions in the overlapping triazole rings. The combination of vibrational spectroscopic techniques (Raman/FT-IR) and principal component analysis (PCA) aid the development of important models for polymorph screening and identification. In addition, X-ray diffraction (powder and single crystal) techniques support the polymorph characterization and structure depiction. The PCA models and X-ray diffraction analyses confirmed the newness of FLZ polymorph 10, and further solid-state characterization using thermal techniques (DSC and TGA) affirmed its uniqueness and novelty. Finally, the thermal stability and solubility studies on the new FLZ polymorph were determined to understand its structure properties and compare these with previously reported polymorphs of FLZ.