Insight into the dissolution behavior of valsartan (form E) in twelve pure solvents: Solubility, modelling and molecular simulation

Valsartan is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist used to treat hypertension. Crystals of valsartan were prepared and the stability of the valsartan (form E) at different solvents and temperatures was investigated. The solid-liquid equilibrium solubility of valsartan (form E) in twelve pure solvents was determined by a dynamic method at the temperature from 278.15 K to 323.15 K. Among the solvents used in the experiment, the solubility of valsartan (form E) was found to be highest in methanol and lowest in acetonitrile. In straight-chain alcohols, the solubility decreases with the increase of carbon chain length. The modified Apelblat model, λh model and NRTL model were used to correlate the solubility data. The thermodynamic properties of the mixing process such as Gibbs free energy, enthalpy and entropy were estimated by applying the NRTL model. The KAT-LSER model was adopted to explore solvent effects. Hirshfeld surface analysis and molecular electrostatic potential (ESP) were employed to visualize close contacts and charge distribution of valsartan and solvents. In addition, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was performed to calculate intermolecular interactions between solute and solvent. Radial distribution function (RDF) and the mean square displacement (MSD) analyses were also carried out to explore molecular association and molecular diffusion.