Exceptionally Elastic Single-Component Pharmaceutical Crystals

Abstract

We report here the first elastically bendable single-component pharmaceutical crystal, celecoxib. Interlocked molecular packing without the slip plane and the presence of an isotropic hydrogen bond network are major structural features responsible for both the exceptional elastic flexibility and high stiffness of the celecoxib crystal as revealed by bending and nanomechanical studies. The molecular model of the exceptional elasticity is rationalized by the inhomogeneous spatial separations of molecules in the bent crystal, which is further confirmed by micro-Raman spectroscopy. The celecoxib crystal, exhibiting both therapeutic effects and elastic mechanical behavior, could be used to manufacture functional microdevices with novel medical applications.