Metacetamol is a structural isomer of the widely used drug paracetamol and is being considered as a promising alternative to the latter because of its lower toxicity. Due to the importance of the well-known polymorphism of paracetamol, an investigation of the polymorphism of metacetamol was successfully undertaken. A new polymorph of metacetamol has been discovered and extensively characterised using a variety of analytical techniques (IR-and Raman spectroscopy, UV-visible optical spectroscopy, X-ray powder and single-crystal diffraction, TGA and DSC). A procedure for the reliable and reproducible preparation of the new polymorph is described. Its properties and crystal structure are compared with those of the previously known polymorph, as well as with those of paracetamol. CrystEngComm This journal isScheme 1 Molecular structures of metacetamol (left) and paracetamol (right) containing the same characteristic functional groups.

Cofactor-independent urate oxidase (UOX) is an ∼137 kDa tetrameric enzyme essential for uric acid (UA) catabolism in many organisms. UA is first oxidized by O2 to dehydroisourate (DHU) via a peroxo intermediate. DHU then undergoes hydration to 5-hydroxyisourate (5HIU). At different stages of the reaction both catalytic O2 and water occupy the `peroxo hole' above the organic substrate. Here, high-resolution neutron/X-ray crystallographic analysis at room temperature has been integrated with molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the hydration step of the reaction. The joint neutron/X-ray structure of perdeuterated Aspergillus flavus UOX in complex with its 8-azaxanthine (8AZA) inhibitor shows that the catalytic water molecule (W1) is present in the peroxo hole as neutral H2O, oriented at 45° with respect to the ligand. It is stabilized by Thr57 and Asn254 on different UOX protomers as well as by an O—H...π interaction with 8AZA. The active site Lys10–Thr57 dyad features a charged Lys10–NH3 + side chain engaged in a strong hydrogen bond with Thr57OG1, while the Thr57OG1–HG1 bond is rotationally dynamic and oriented toward the π system of the ligand, on average. Our analysis offers support for a mechanism in which W1 performs a nucleophilic attack on DHUC5 with Thr57HG1 central to a Lys10-assisted proton-relay system. Room-temperature crystallography and simulations also reveal conformational heterogeneity for Asn254 that modulates W1 stability in the peroxo hole. This is proposed to be an active mechanism to facilitate W1/O2 exchange during catalysis.