The application of computational screening methodologies
based
on H-bond propensity scores, molecular complementarity, molecular
electrostatic potentials, and crystal structure prediction has guided
the discovery of novel cocrystals of dapsone and bipyridine (DDS:BIPY).
The experimental screen, which included mechanochemical and slurry
experiments as well as the contact preparation, resulted in four cocrystals,
including the previously known DDS:4,4′-BIPY (2:1, CC44-B) cocrystal. To understand the factors governing the formation
of the DDS:2,2′-BIPY polymorphs (1:1, CC22-A and
CC22-B) and the two DDS:4,4′-BIPY cocrystal stoichiometries
(1:1 and 2:1), different experimental conditions (such as the influence
of solvent, grinding/stirring time, etc.) were tested and compared
with the virtual screening results. The computationally generated
(1:1) crystal energy landscapes had the experimental cocrystals as
the lowest energy structures, although distinct cocrystal packings
were observed for the similar coformers. H-bonding scores and molecular
electrostatic potential maps correctly indicated cocrystallization
of DDS and the BIPY isomers, with a higher likelihood for 4,4′-BIPY.
The molecular conformation influenced the molecular complementarity
results, predicting no cocrystallization for 2,2′-BIPY with
DDS. The crystal structures of CC22-A and CC44-A were solved from powder X-ray diffraction data. All four cocrystals
were fully characterized by a range of analytical techniques, including
powder X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, hot-stage microscopy,
thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry.
The two DDS:2,2′-BIPY polymorphs are enantiotropically related,
with form B being the stable polymorph at room temperature (RT) and
form A being the higher temperature form. Form B is metastable but
kinetically stable at RT. The two DDS:4,4′-BIPY cocrystals
are stable at room conditions; however, at higher temperatures, CC44-A transforms to CC44-B. The cocrystal formation
enthalpy order, derived from the lattice energies, was calculated
as follows: CC44-B > CC44-A > CC22-A.