Transforming liquid nicotine into a stable solid through crystallization with orotic acid

Abstract

Many molecular drugs exist as liquid materials, however this state is not necessarily the most viable or stable means to store pharmaceuticals. Crystal engineering can be utilized to isolate these liquid materials in the solid state. Herein, we describe the liquid-state to solid-state transformation of one of the most widely consumed liquid alkaloid drugs; nicotine. Nicotine is known to be highly unstable with a multitude of degradation pathways. To isolate nicotine in the solid-state, crystallization was utilized with the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) salt former orotic acid. The melting point of the isolated crystalline salt was determined along with the photo-stabilizing effects the solid state offers for liquid pharmaceuticals such as nicotine.