Methanol polymorphs predicted with unprecedented accuracy

Experimental crystal structures for the a (left), disordered b (middle), and g (right) polymorphs of methanol

Source: © Royal Society of Chemistry

Ability to map phase diagrams using quantum calculations could benefit pharma research

Envisaging the laboratory conditions under which desired polymorphs will form is now on the horizon thanks to new computational techniques developed by scientists in the US. Using first-principles quantum chemistry, the scientists have been able to derive the polymorph phase diagram of methanol to a level of accuracy that holds great promise for pharmaceutical applications.