CRYSTAL-GROWTH AND CHARACTERIZATION OF METHYLENEBISPHOSPHONATE PARTIAL ESTERS

Various solution growth techniques were tested in an attempt to grow s ingle crystals of four new partial esters of clodronic acid for x-ray structural studies, Gel (tetramethoxysilane) and vapour diffusion tech niques proved to be successful. The starting materials and crystals we re examined by infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis an d the structures of the starting materials were confirmed by P-31 NMR and elemental analysis. Preliminary morphological studies were carried out by optical microscopy. These new bisphosphonate derivatives are o f pharmaceutical interest as inhibitors of osteoclastic bone resorptio n.