A systematic approach for preferential crystallization of 4-hydroxy-2-pyrrolidone: Thermodynamics, kinetics, optimal operation and in-situ monitoring aspects

A systematic approach has been developed and applied to the preferential crystallization of 4-hydroxy-2-pyrrolidone in isopropanol. The concept of critical supersaturation control was introduced for preferential crystallization process. System thermodynamics, crystallization kinetics, optimal operation and in-situ monitoring were combined and integrated to establish the strategy for the critical supersaturation control. Subsequently, the solubility and metastable zone widths of 4-hydroxy-2-pyrrolidone with different compositions in isopropanol under different cooling rates were determined using an automatic lab reactor (Mettler Toledo LabMax) system equipped with Lasentec Focused Beam Reflectance (FBRM) probe. The crystal nucleation and growth kinetics were measured with s-plane analysis. A modified technique was proposed for size-dependent crystal growth. Based on the thermodynamics properties and crystallization kinetics, a simplified cooling profile was proposed and applied to the critical supersaturation control. The final product's high optical purity, good crystal size distribution, SEM imagines and the in-situ observations, all suggested that the critical supersaturation control was essential and the systematic approach was successful and applicable for preferential crystallization.