LEEDS, England, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- British scientists say they have developed a simple technology that can be used in existing chemical reactors to ensure more efficient drug crystal formation.
The University of Leeds researchers said ensuring drug crystals are formed correctly is crucial to the efficiency of pharmaceutical manufacturers' operations.
Using self-assembled monolayers, the team said it showed crystals form into their desired product form with the correct shape and particle structure, without the usual huge losses resulting from polymorphism -- the existence of different kinds of crystal of the same chemical compound.
"If you imagine the way that oil sits on top of water, that's similar to how the monolayer works," Professor Kevin Roberts, who led the study, said. "We've shown that we can produce a well-defined crystal structure using a self-assembled monolayer bound onto a metal substrate within a regular reactor.
"This is exciting stuff," he added, "because it's a relatively simple system, but could make a huge difference in the efficiency of drug manufacture."
Roberts said the researchers' next step is to make sure it's just as efficient on an industrial scale.
