Enhancing the Stability of Nicotine via Crystallization Using Enantiopure Tartaric Acid Salt Formers

Crystallization of nicotine, an oil prone to degradation at room temperature, has been demonstrated to be an effective means of creating nicotine-based materials with tunable thermal properties and improved resistance to photo-induced degradation. Herein, we show that both isomers of enantiomerically pure tartaric acid are highly effective salt formers when combined with nicotine. Both salts exhibit enhanced photostability, and with a melting point of 143.1 °C, the salt prepared using d-(−)-tartaric acid possesses one of the highest melting points for a crystalline nicotine solid reported to date.