From Liquid to Solid: Cocrystallization as an Engineering Tool for the Solidification of Pyruvic Acid

Pyruvic acid is an organic compound used in various fields (e.g., the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and chemical industries) and subject to constantly growing demand. Pyruvic acid is liquid at room temperature, rendering manipulation less straightforward. Furthermore, in the liquid phase, pyruvic acid is air-sensitive. We here present a multi-component crystal engineering strategy to render pyruvic acid solid under ambient conditions, focusing on cocrystallization and salt formation. Out of 73 screened cocrystal and salt formers, eight were found to form novel crystalline forms with pyruvic acid. Four of these were studied in detail, with pyruvic acid stable in a solid phase at temperatures up to 120 degrees C. These results illustrate the effectiveness of cocrystallization as a tool to convert unstable liquid compounds into stable crystalline solid forms.

Automated summary

In this study, a multi-component crystal engineering strategy was used to solidify pyruvic acid under ambient conditions. Eight novel crystalline forms were discovered out of 73 tested cocrystals and salts. Four of these forms demonstrated stability at temperatures up to 120 degrees C. These results highlight the efficacy of cocrystallization in converting unstable liquid compounds into stable crystalline solids.