Colloids and Formulations Flashcards
What is a solution?
A dispersion of molecules of material in a liquid medium and is clear
What is a suspension?
A dispersion of solid particles of material in a liquid medium and it’s generally cloudy
What are the size of particles in a colloidal suspension?
Between 1-100nm
What are the size of particles in a normal suspension?
More then 100nm
Why are suspensions good?
Many drugs aren’t water-soluble but can be suspended in an aqueous phase
What is a surface?
An interface between two phases, where one phase is solid
What do unsettling interactions mean for suspensions in terms of the DLVO theory?
Leads to instability, coalescence and settling
What do settling interactions mean for suspensions in terms of the DLVO theory?
Means the particles remain suspended
Give the equation and annotate for attractive interactions in the DLVO theory:
VA = - Aa/12H
* A = Hamaker constant for the
particle material and medium (~10-20J)
* a = particle radius (~10-9-10-7m)
* H = interparticle distance (~10-9m)
* R=2a+H
* VA= attractive energy
What forces dominate attractive interactions?
Van der Waals
Give the equation and annotate for repulsive interactions in the DLVO theory:
VR= 2 π ε, εo aΨδ x exp(-κH)/(1+H/2a)
- ε, εo = permittivities of the medium and vacuum
- a = particle radius (~10-9-10-7m)
- Ψδ = surface potential (would normally use ζ potential instead as more
easily measured) (~0-50mV) - κ = Debye-Huckel parameter ~109m-1, (1/κ = double layer thickness)
- H = interparticle distance (~10-9m)
Remove bottom part if k <10^5
What is the equation to calculate the total energy of interaction (VT)?
VT= VA+VR
What does a positive peak mean on a potential energy diagram?
Repulsion
Primary maximum
Repulsive barrier, will keep particles apart when close together
What does a negative dip mean on a potential energy diagram?
Attraction
Primary minimum
Attraction between two particles, if it goes far down, the particles are irreversibly aggragated
What is the secondary minimum on a potential energy diagram?
Where the repulsive and attractive lines on the graph come together horizontally in the centre
This means particles are attracted to each other but not strongly, so can easily be dispersed (forms flocks)
What will high temperatures do to particles in a suspension?
At high temperatures will promote primary minimum as more kinetic energy
Describe the electric double layer:
Any particle in an aqueous medium will have a charge on a surface
Stern layer, counter ions totally held to the charge in the middle
Diffuse layer, an imbalance of mobile co-ions
Sheer surface, the boundary between the fix layer and diffusive layer (electrical potential here called the zeta potential)
What is double layer thickness?
The distance between the stern layer and which charge is screened
1/ Debye huckel parameter (k)
Name two ways in how particles are stabilised:
- Steric stabilisation
- Electrostatic stabilisation
What is steric stabilisation?
Involving adsorption of an inert polymer on the surface of the particles
The surface prevents the particles to approach each other and Van der waals are too weak therefore easily separated
What is electrostatic stabilisation?
Involving a surface charge on the surface of the particles with the same charge will repel each other using Zeta potential
Zeta> +30mv = stable
Zeta< -30mv = unstable so can coagulate
What is the Zeta potential dependent on?
Stern potential and ionic strength of medium
Can govern sedimentation
What is a stern potential dependent on?
Presence of adsorbent material
What are two ways and how you can control particle behaviour?
Debye Huckel length parameter, k, dependant on ionic strength of medium so can be easily controlled, decrease ionic strength better
Stern potential, surface can be modified, large stern potential is better
What type of movement do particles always have?
Brownian motion
What are deflocculated systems?
Behave as small individual particles
What are flocculated systems?
Behave as individual large particles with a porous structure, loosely attracted to eachother
How can particle movement in a suspension be reduced?
By increasing the viscosity of the medium
Why is diffusion good in suspensions and which system is this more likely to happen and why?
Acts to improve mixing
Depends on particle and medium property
Seen more in deflocculated systems as individual small particles can move more rapidly
Give and annotate the Stokes- Einstein diffusion equation:
D= kBT/ 6πηa
D
=
diffusion
coefficient
kB= Boltzmann’s
constant
T= temp in kelvin
η= viscosity of the medium
a= particle radius
When will sedimentation occur in a suspension and why?
Due to gravity
Affects particles with a radius larger than 0.5μm and above
In both flocculated and deflocculated systems
Flocculated- fast
Deflocculated- slow
Which system is better for sedimentation occurring?
Flocculated
Although the deflocculated system will happen slower as they are lighter, they are individual particles so can layer over each other better and more mechanical force is applied
This means deflocculated go from primary max to primary min and therefor irreversible
Flocculated, they sediment loosely and go to secondary min which is reversible
State the Stokes sedimentation equation and annotate it:
v=2a^2g(p-pº)/9η
v= sedimentation
velocity
a= particle radius
g= acceleration due to gravity
p= density of particles
pº= density of the medium
η= viscosity of the medium
Why do diffusion and sedimentation have opposing effects?
More chance of particulate interaction with more diffusion
What is the effect of reducing particle size in a suspension?
It will:
Increase diffusion, decrease sedimentation, will affect dissolution area, difficult to make particles this size
Beneficial for suspensions
What is the effect of increasing viscosity in a suspension?
Decrease diffusion, decreases sedimentation
Beneficial for most pharmaceutical suspensions
What is the effect of increasing density in a suspension?
No affect on diffusion, decrease sedimentation
Beneficial for most pharmaceutical suspensions
The equation for sedimentation volume ratio (F):
F= Vf/Vo
Vf= volume of sediment at equilibrium
Vo= total volume of solution
Explain sedimentation in deflocculated systems:
Because they are individual particles, they are not loosely held together and so can compact and densely sediment, reaching the primary minimum
Vf values are low e.g. 0.1 because they occupy smaller volume as more compact
Sedimentation is irreversible as solvent can’t penetrate the sediment
Explain sedimentation in flocculated systems:
As floccule is a large and porous, the sediment is loose and fluffy with incorporated solvent
Vf values are high e.g. 0.6 as less compact so more volume
Sedimentation is reversible by shaking
State and describe two aggregation of sediments:
Coalescence: two particles intertwine and become one large particle
Otswald ripening: larger particles get smaller particle in it, happens again and again
What are surfactants?
Surface acting agents, amphiphiles
Likes being in both oil and water
Have two regions:
Hydrophobic tail, hydrophilic head
How are surfactants classified?
According to nature of the hydrophilic head group
State for type of surfactants:
Anionic
Cationic
Zwitterionic
Non ionic
Describe anionic surfactants:
Negatively charged head
Most widely used class
Common: carboxylates, sultanates, sulphates
Describe catatonic surfactants:
Positively charged head
Less commonly used
Compatible with non-ionic and zwitterionic surfactants, but not anionic ones
Describe zwitterionic surfactants:
Have both negative and positive charge in head
Describe non-ionic surfactants:
Non-charged head groups – have ability to form H bonds
What are HBL values?
Hydrophile-lipophile balance
To measure the relative contributions of the lipophilic and hydrophobic regions of surfactant molecules
What is the average HBL value for non ionic surfactants?
0-20
0 being extremely hydrophobic
20 being extremely hydrophilic
What is the average HBL value for ionic surfactants?
Can excess of 20
How do surfactants work?
Adsorption at the air/water interface boundary
Intermolecular bonding between water molecules (cohesive forces) is disrupted and weakened by the presence of the surfactant lowers surface tension
What is surface tension?
The energy required to increase the surface isothermally and reversibly by unit amount
Give an annotate the equation for surface tension:
γ = (dG/dA)n,P,T,
y= surface tension
G= energy
A= surface
What effect does temperature have on the surface tension of water?
An increase in temperature decreases ST
What does CMC stand for?
Critical micelle concentration
What is the CMC?
The conc which micelles begin to form
How do micelles form?
Once surfactant has formed a complete monolayer at the liquid air interface, any additional surfactant must remain in solution
Extra surfactant molecules self assemble into micelles which have around 50-100 surfacant molecules