Effects of some polymeric additives on the cocrystallization of caffeine

Effects of polymeric additives on the model cocrystallization were examined. The model cocrystal was made from caffeine and oxalic acid, and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), poly(l-lactide) (PLLA), poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) were the additives. The cocrystals were formed as millimeter-sized crystals without additives, and they became microcrystals with PLLA and PCL, and nanocrystals with PAA. XRD and IR revealed that the cocrystal structure was unchanged despite the strong effects of the additives on the crystal morphology, although some decrease in crystallinity was observed with PAA as confirmed by DSC. The DSC study also showed that the cocrystal melted and recrystallized to form α-caffeine upon heating. The present study verified that the polymeric additives can be utilized to modulate the size and morphology of the cocrystals without interfering the intermolecular interactions essential to the integrity of the cocrystal structures.

► Effects of polymers on the model cocrystal of caffeine and oxalic acid.
► Polymeric additives as morphology modifiers of the cocrystal.
► Size reduction of the cocrystal to nanocrystals with poly(acrylic acid).
► The preserved molecular structure of the cocrystal despite the changes in morphology, size, and crystallinity.