Co-crystals have advantages in physiochemical properties over their constituent components and are expected to use in product formulation such as enhanced active pharmaceutical ingredients

food components with improved absorbability

and specialty chemicals with better performance. The development of pharmaceutical co-crystals might offer advantages over the active pharmaceutical ingredients and overcome some of the limitations encountered with classical strategy (polymorph

solvate and salt formation). In recent years

co-crystals have recently gained much attention for pharmaceutical development especially because it has great advantages in improving the solubility

dissolution

melt point and oral bioavailability. Since the co-crystals lattice comprises two or more kinds of molecules

compared with the conventional structure of the drug crystal

intermolecular force comprising more types such as hydrogen

halogen bond

van der Waals forces

π-π interaction

so the structure is more complex. The research on the co-crystals structure can be helpful to understand the formation mechanism. The definition

application

preparation and structure of co-crystals were reviewed

it will provide theoretical guidance for the studies of the following research.