Dimethylformamide → Nilotinib L-tartrate

A 250 mL reactor equipped with a reflux condenser and a mechanical stirrer was charged with Nilotinib base Form A (8.00 g, 15.11 mmol) and absolute EtOH (80 mL, 10V). The suspension was heated to 80° C. and stirred for 0.5 h. To the resulting mixture was added a solution of L-tartaric acid (2.49 g, 16.7 mmol, 1.1 eq) in absolute EtOH (20 mL) in one portion, followed by an additional 120 mL of absolute EtOH. The resulting mixture was stirred at 80° C. during 20 min and then cooled to room temperature over 0.5 h with continuous stirring at room temperature for another 16 h. The mixture was then transferred to a refrigerator at 5° C. and kept there for 16 h (in a closed vessel). The solid was isolated by vacuum filtration and dried in a vacuum oven at 70° C. for 24 h to give Nilotinib L-tartrate form IV as a yellow solid (9.10 g, 89%). Mono L-tartrate salt was obtained according to assay determination.