Selecting the desired solid form by membrane crystallizers: Crystals or cocrystals

This work aims to describe a systematic study on the conditions promoting the selective formation of carbamazepine-saccharin cocrystals or single component crystals from water/ethanol solvent mixtures, by using a membrane crystallization process. Results revealed the ability to operate in the proper zone of the phase diagram of the system when opportunely choosing the initial solution conditions and limiting the maximum level of supersaturation by using the membrane-based technology. Control in the selective crystallization of a specific solid form can be achieved by adjusting the solvent evaporation through the micropores of the membrane. Furthermore, the direct correlation between transmembrane flow and polymorphic composition in the case of carbamazepine precipitation confirmed the possibility to produce particular metastable phases upon increasing the supersaturation rate. © 2012 American Chemical Society.