Tautomerism unveils a self-inhibition mechanism of crystallization

Weiwei Tang, Taimin Yang, Cristian A. Morales-Rivera, Xi Geng, Vijay K. Srirambhatla, Xiang Kang, Vraj P. Chauhan, Sungil Hong, Qing Tu, Alastair J. Florence, Huaping Mo, Hector A. Calderon, Christian Kisielowski, Francisco C. Robles Hernandez, Xiaodong Zou, Giannis Mpourmpakis and Jeffrey D. Rimer ()
Additional contact information
Weiwei Tang: University of Houston, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Taimin Yang: Stockholm University, Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry
Cristian A. Morales-Rivera: University of Pittsburgh, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
Xi Geng: University of Houston, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Vijay K. Srirambhatla: EPSRC Future Manufacturing Research Hub for Continuous and Manufacturing and Advanced Crystallization (CMAC), University of Strathclyde, Technology and Innovation Centre
Xiang Kang: Tianjin University, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, The Co-Innovation Center of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Tianjin
Vraj P. Chauhan: University of Houston, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Sungil Hong: University of Pittsburgh, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
Qing Tu: Texas A&M University, Materials Science & Engineering
Alastair J. Florence: EPSRC Future Manufacturing Research Hub for Continuous and Manufacturing and Advanced Crystallization (CMAC), University of Strathclyde, Technology and Innovation Centre
Huaping Mo: Purdue University, Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy
Hector A. Calderon: Instituto Politecnico Nacional, ESFM-IPN, Departamento de Fı́sica, UPALM Zacatenco
Christian Kisielowski: The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Francisco C. Robles Hernandez: University of Houston, Mechanical Engineering Technology
Xiaodong Zou: Stockholm University, Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry
Giannis Mpourmpakis: University of Pittsburgh, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
Jeffrey D. Rimer: University of Houston, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Modifiers are commonly used in natural, biological, and synthetic crystallization to tailor the growth of diverse materials. Here, we identify tautomers as a new class of modifiers where the dynamic interconversion between solute and its corresponding tautomer(s) produces native crystal growth inhibitors. The macroscopic and microscopic effects imposed by inhibitor-crystal interactions reveal dual mechanisms of inhibition where tautomer occlusion within crystals that leads to natural bending, tunes elastic modulus, and selectively alters the rate of crystal dissolution. Our study focuses on ammonium urate crystallization and shows that the keto-enol form of urate, which exists as a minor tautomer, is a potent inhibitor that nearly suppresses crystal growth at select solution alkalinity and supersaturation. The generalizability of this phenomenon is demonstrated for two additional tautomers with relevance to biological systems and pharmaceuticals. These findings offer potential routes in crystal engineering to strategically control the mechanical or physicochemical properties of tautomeric materials.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35924-3

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