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. 2022 Sep 21;14(10):2003. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14102003

Table 3.

Conditions of preparation of polymorphs by mechanical activation.

# Sample Obtained Polymorph Mill Type Milling Cell Ball (#, Material)
Sample Weight
Milling Frequency Milling Temperature Milling Time and Solvent Ref.
1P Ranitidine hydrochloride Ranitidine hydrochloride, form 2 Oscillatory ball mill (mixer mill MM301, Retsch GmbH and Co., Weinheim, Germany) 25 mL Stainless steel 2 stainless steel balls
(d = 12 mm)
1 g s
30 Hz 12 ± 3 °C 180 min, stop every 30 min to scrape and remix powder [74]
Ranitidine, form 2 (with traces of form 1) 35 °C 120 min, stop every 30 min to scrape and remix powder
Ranitidine, form 2 240 min, stop every 30 min to scrape and remix powder
2P Chlorhexidine dihydrochloride 2-step polymorphism produces ChxHC form 2 as a precursor of form 3 High-energy planetary mill
(Pulverisette 7; Fritsch, Idar-Oberstein)
43 cm3 ZrO2 7 ZrO2 balls
(d = 15 mm)
1 g
6.6 Hz Room temperature 12 h
(15 min milling periods with 5 min rests)
[140]
3P Γ-sorbitol A form
sorbitol
High-energy planetary micro-mill (Pulverisette 7; Fritsch, Idar-Oberstein) 45 cm3 zirconium 7 zirconium balls
(d = 15 mm)
1 g of sample
6.6 Hz Room temperature 10 h [34]
4P Rivastigmine (RHT form 2) RHT form I Retsch planetary
ball mill PM100
50 mL stainless steel 3 stainless steel balls
(d = 20 mm)
1 g
6.6 Hz Room temperature 3 h (stopping at 15 min, 30 min, 1 h and 2 h) [141]
5P o-Aminobenzoic acid (mixture of FII and FIII forms) FIII form Oscillatory ball mill (Mixer mill MM400, Retsch GmbH and Co., Germany) 25 mL stainless steel One stainless steel ball
(d = 15 mm)
0.5 g
30 μL of solvent
25 Hz Room temperature 2.5 h
(30 min milling periods with 15 min pauses)
Solvent: valeric acid (FIV and FIII)
[54]
FII form
m-Aminobenzoic
acid (FIII form)
FIV form
FIV and FIII
Carbamazepine FIV form
p-aminobenzoic acid β-PABA 1 stainless steel ball
(d = 15 mm)
0.5 g
30 μL of solvent
Cryogenic temperature (immersed in liquid N2 for 5 min prior to miling every 7.5 min) 2.5 h
(7.5 min milling and 2.5 min pauses in liquid nitrogen) Solvent: valeric acid, 10% acetamide or ethanol. (FI)
o-Aminobenzoic acid (mixture of FII and FIII forms) FI form (FII converts to FIII and subsequently FIII converts to FI.)
FI form
6P Dexamethasone DEX form A and B High-energy planetary mill (Pulverisette 7, Fritsch, Idar-Oberstein) 43 cm3 ZrO2 7 ZrO2 balls
(d = 15 mm)
1.1 g
6.6 Hz Room temperature 12 h
(15 min milling periods, with 5 min rests)
[27]
7P Sofosbuvir (anhydrous form 1) Form A or B Vibrational ball mill (MM400, RETSCH) 5 mL stainless steel 2 stainless steel balls (d = 5 mm)
50 mg
10 μL of Solvent
25 Hz Room temperature 30 min
Solvent: water or methanol
[79]
Form A 30 min
Solvent: anisole, n-butyl acetate, or ethyl acetate
Form A (form 1 changes to form V) 30 min
Solvent: anisole
Form A 60 min,
solvent: tetrahydrofuran
Form A (form 1 changes into form B and then forms A) 20 min,
solvent: butyl acetate or ethyl acetate
8P Sulindac (form II) Form II and form I High-energy planetary mill
(Pulverisette 7eFritsch)
43 cm3 ZrO2 7 ZrO2 balls
(d = 15 mm)
1 g
6.6 Hz Room temperature 5 min [69]
Form I 600 min (10 min milling, with 5 min pauses)
Mixture of form II and form I 20 min
(10 min milling periods, with 5 min pauses)
9P Γ-sorbitol A form sorbitol High-energy
planetary mill (Pulverisette 7-Fritsch)
43 cm3 ZrO2 7 ZrO2 balls
(d = 15 mm)
6.6 Hz Room temperature (dry nitrogen atmosphere) 10 h [75]
Mannitol (β) α Mannitol
Mannitol (δ) α Mannitol
10P Famotidine
(form B)
Form A (form B to A transformation ratio increased with milling time) Oscillatory ball mill (Mixer Mill MM301, Retsch GmbH and Co., Germany) 25 mL stainless steel 2 stainless steel balls (d = 12 mm)
0.2 g
15 Hz 130 °C 10 min [142]
110 °C 20 min
110 °C 30 min
11P Gabapentin (GBP) form I GBP form II Oscillatory ball mill (Mixer Mill MM301, Retsch GmbH and Co., Germany) 25 mL stainless steel 2 stainless steel balls (d = 15 mm)
0.2 g of sample
20 Hz Room temperature 120 min [76]
GBP form II GBP form III 105 min
GBP form IV 120 min
GBP form III GBP form II 15 min
GBP form III (produced by the coexistence of form I and II after 15 min milling) 60 min
GBP form IV 105 min
GBP form IV GBP form II 2 min
GBP form III 30 min
GBP form IV 105 min
12P Ciprofloxacin salicylate
(monohydrate)
Form I (after 4 min of neat grinding)
From 2 (after 9.5 min of neat grinding)
Fritsch planetary micro mill, model Pulverisette 7 12 mL agate 10 agate balls (d = 5 mm)
0.1 g
60 μL of solvent
8.3 Hz NR 50 min,
solvent: water, and
the use of water/organic solvents decreases the time of existence for form I
[143]
Ciprofloxacin salicylate
(3.67 hydrate)
Form II (after 17 min of neat grinding)
Anhydrous ciprofloxacin salicylate From I
13P γ-sorbitol Form α (complete transformation) High-energy planetary mill (Pulveri-
sette, 7-Fritsch)
43 cm3 ZrO2 7 ZrO2 balls
(d = 15 mm)
6.6 Hz Room temperature 180 min
(10 min milling periods, with 5 min rests)
[144]
14P Ethenzamide: ethylmalonic acid
(Co-crystal)
Form l (SDG with n-hexane)
Form ll (after neat grinding or SDG with toluene or cyclohexane)
Oscillatory ball mill (Mixer Mill MM301, Retsch GmbH and Co., Germany) 10 mL stainless steel 1 stainless steel ball (d = 7 mm)
0.1 g of EA and 0.0799 g of EMA
(1:1 molar ratio)
0.05 mL of solvent
20 Hz Room temperature 15 min,
solvent: toluene, cyclohexane, or n-hexane
[145]
15P Caffeine: glutaric acid
(co-crystal)
Form l (after neat grinding and SDG with n-hexane, cyclohexane or heptane) Oscillatory ball mill (Mixer Mill, Retsch GmbH and Co., Germany) Stainless steel (volume NR) 2 stainless stell balls (d = NR)
0.75 g
(1:1 molar ratio)
30 Hz Room temperature 60 min
Solvent: n-hexane, cyclohexane, or heptane
[146]

NR: not reported; SDG: solvent drop grinding.