Advances and new directions in crystallization control

Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng. 2012:3:55-75. doi: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-062011-081043. Epub 2012 Mar 8.

Abstract

The academic literature on and industrial practice of control of solution crystallization processes have seen major advances in the past 15 years that have been enabled by progress in in-situ real-time sensor technologies and driven primarily by needs in the pharmaceutical industry for improved and more consistent quality of drug crystals. These advances include the accurate measurement of solution concentrations and crystal characteristics as well as the first-principles modeling and robust model-based and model-free feedback control of crystal size and polymorphic identity. Research opportunities are described in model-free controller design, new crystallizer designs with enhanced control of crystal size distribution, strategies for the robust control of crystal shape, and interconnected crystallization systems for multicomponent crystallization.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Crystallization / methods*
  • Models, Chemical
  • Quality Control
  • Solutions / chemistry
  • Technology, Pharmaceutical

Substances

  • Solutions