Plasticity enhancement in pharmaceutical drugs by water of crystallization: unusual slip planes

Khandavilli et al. [(2019), IUCrJ, 6, 630–634] show the superior plasticity in hydrates of the pharmaceutical drugs, pregabalin and gabapetin, compared with their anhydrous forms. The water in the structure is believed to act as a lubricating agent in the packing of hydrates, thus facilitating slippage of molecules in the plastic bending of the crystals under external mechanical stress.