Investigation of Solid-State NMR Line Widths of Ibuprofen in Drug Formulations

Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (SSNMR) line widths were measured for various ibuprofen preparations, including crystallization from different solvents (acetone, acetonitrile, methanol), melt-quenching, manual grinding, cryogrinding, compacting, and by blending with various excipients. Ibuprofen recrystallized from acetonitrile exhibited broader lines than ibuprofen recrystallized from either acetone or methanol. Manually ground ibuprofen had SSNMR line widths that were indistinguishable from the commercial sample, but cryoground ibuprofen had larger line widths than either. Physical mixtures with most excipients decreased the SSNMR line widths. Only dilution in talc led to line width increases, which is attributed to the magnetic susceptibility anisotropy of the talc excipient. Our results show that SSNMR line widths can be used to understand physical characteristics including particle size and morphology, degree of order in the materials, and physical environment. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.