University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Fireflies of the rainforest: Illuminating the mysterious world of crystal polymorphism

Kafle, Prapti

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Kafle, Prapti.pdf

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/99833

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Title
Fireflies of the rainforest: Illuminating the mysterious world of crystal polymorphism
Author(s)
Kafle, Prapti
Issue Date
2018-04
Keyword(s)
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Date of Ingest
2018-04-30T17:05:24Z
Abstract
Polymorphism or the ability of molecules to pack in multiple crystal structures, is one of the most important parameters in pharmaceutical industries as it highly influences the physicochemical properties of drugs such as solubility. In my research, I study polymorphism of poorly soluble drugs to develop novel formulation methods for enhancing their solubility. Presented is a cross-polarized microscopy image of a nanothinfilm of an anti-inflammatory drug-aspirin, produced by solution printing the drug solution on an edible polymer called pullulan. Printed at highly non-equilibrium conditions, the spheruliticmorphology of the thin film evokes glowing fireflies in the rainforest at night. Interestingly enough, studying the phenomenon of crystal self-assembly, to me, is much like exploring a rainforest at night filled with astonishing mysteries. Just like a nocturnal creature of the rainforest that would follow the specks of light emitted by fireflies to get a clue of its vicinity, I too chase the hints given by my experiments to unravel the puzzles of crystal polymorphism.
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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/99833
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2018 Prapti Kafle

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