Pharmaceutical Chemistry

B. A., 1987, Augustana College, South Dakota; Ph. D., 1993, Texas A&M University; Postdoctoral Fellow, 1993-94, University of California, Berkeley

Office: 236A Simons
Phone: (785)864-3319
FAX: (785)864-5736
munson@ku.edu

The application of analytical techniques, especially solid-state NMR spectrometry, to the characterization of pharmaceutical solids; investigation of the structure and reactivity of pharmaceutical agents in polymer matrices; correlation of solid-state NMR chemical shifts with molecular structure; investigation of the transformations between crystalline and amorphous forms of pharmaceutical solids; effect of processing upon drug structure and stability; investigation of peptide and protein stability in formulations; effects of freeze drying upon drug stability.

Professor Munson’s research interests lie in the area of using solid-state NMR spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and other techniques to characterize solid pharmaceuticals. Differences in the crystalline state of a drug may significantly change its physical and thermodynamic properties. For many drugs, multiple crystalline polymorphs exist whose crystal structures are not known. Solid-state 13C magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy is a powerful technique for studying polymorphic systems. It can be used to determine the degree of crystallinity, to identify the number of crystallographically inequivalent sites in the unit cell, to study the dynamics of molecules via relaxation measurements, and to understand the molecular structure based on the chemical shift of the individual resonances.

Specific research areas that are being pursued in his group include the investigation of the structure and reactivity of pharmaceutical agents in polymer matrices; correlation of solid-state NMR chemical shifts with molecular structure; investigation of the transformations between crystalline and amorphous forms of pharmaceutical solids; effect of processing upon drug structure and stability; investigation of peptide and protein stability in formulations; and the effects of freeze drying upon drug stability.

A. J. D'Souza, R. L. Schowen, R. T. Borchardt, J. S. Salsbury, E. J. Munson and E. M. Topp, "Reaction of a peptide with polyvinylpyrrolidone in the solid state," J. Pharm. Sci., 92: 585–593 (2003).

G. G. Zhang, C. Gu, M. T. Zell, R. T. Burkhardt, E. J. Munson and D. J. Grant, "Crystallization and transitions of sulfamerazine polymorphs," J. Pharm. Sci., 91: 1089–1100 (2002).

Z. Dong, B. E. Padden, J. S. Salsbury, E. J. Munson, S. A. Schroeder, I. Prakash and D. J. Grant, "Neotame anhydrate polymorphs I: preparation and characterization," Pharm. Res., 19: 330–336 (2002).

Z. Dong, J. S. Salsbury, D. Zhou, E. J. Munson, S. A. Schroeder, I. Prakash, S. Vyazovkin, C. A. Wight and D. J. Grant, "Dehydration kinetics of neotame monohydrate," J. Pharm. Sci., 91: 1423–1431 (2002).

Z. Dong, E. J. Munson, S. A. Schroeder, I. Prakash and D. J. Grant, "Conformational flexibility and hydrogen-bonding patterns of the neotame molecule in its various solid forms," J. Pharm. Sci., 91: 2047–2056 (2002).

Z. Dong, E. J. Munson, S. A. Schroeder, I. Prakash and D. J. Grant, "Neotame anhydrate polymorphs. II: Quantitation and relative physical stability," Pharm. Res., 19: 1259–1264 (2002).

Z. Dong, V. G. Young, Jr., A. Sheth, E. J. Munson, S. A. Schroeder, I. Prakash and D. J. Grant, "Crystal structure of neotame anhydrate polymorph G," Pharm. Res., 19: 1549-1553 (2002).

B. Chen and E. J. Munson, "Investigation of the mechanism of n-butane oxidation on vanadium phosphorus oxide catalysts: evidence from isotopic labeling studies," J. Am. Chem. Soc., 124: 1638–1652 (2002).

L. R. Chen, B. E. Padden, S. R. Vippagunta, E. J. Munson and D. J. Grant, "Nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopic analysis of nedocromil hydrates," Pharm. Res., 17: 619–624 (2000).

L. K. Carlson, P. K. Isbester and E. J. Munson, "Study of the conversion of methanol to dimethyl ether on zeolite HZSM-5 using in situ flow MAS NMR," Solid State Nucl. Magn. Reson., 16: 93–102 (2000).

Z. J. Li, M. T. Zell, E. J. Munson and D. J. Grant, "Characterization of racemic species of chiral drugs using thermal analysis, thermodynamic calculation, and structural studies," J. Pharm. Sci., 88: 337–346 (1999).

S. S. Leung, B. E. Padden, E. J. Munson and D. J. Grant, "Solid-state characterization of two polymorphs of aspartame hemihydrate," J. Pharm. Sci., 87: 501–507 (1998).

S. S. Leung, B. E. Padden, E. J. Munson and D. J. Grant, "Hydration and dehydration behavior of aspartame hemihydrate," J. Pharm. Sci., 87: 508–513 (1998).