Using near-infrared process analysis to study gas-solid adsorption process as well as its data treatment based on artificial neural network and partial least squares

This paper demonstrates the application of near-infrared (NIR) process analysis to study gas-solid adsorption process non-invasively: its experimental setup, data treatment, and potentials as a convenient tool to investigate the gas-solid adsorption process. The experimental setup includes a differential adsorption bed (DAB) monitored by a NIR spectrometer via an optical fiber probe, which makes it convenient and reliable to construct adsorption mass-transfer models. A chemometrics strategy based on back propagation-artificial neural network (BP-ANN) and partial least squares (PLS) has been developed to treat NIR spectra collected during the adsorption process because of the obvious nonlinearity in concentration prediction. This nonlinear problem results from the great concentration variation of the adsorbate adsorbed by the adsorbent during the whole adsorption process, the extraordinarily low concentration of the adsorbed adsorbate at the beginning of the process, and probably NIR distinction between the adsorbate on the first adsorption layer at the beginning of the process and that on the other layers afterward. With the strategy, NIR spectra are pretreated with PLS for data compression and noise reduction, and then a BP-ANN is built as the nonlinear calibration model. As compared with linear calibration algorithm, our strategy has the higher predication ability for the whole adsorption process, even with less calibration samples. Finally, as an example the kinetics of aniline-silica gel adsorption process has been studied through the experimental setup and chemometrics strategy.     

A simple spectroscopic method for the determination of the release kinetics of drugs from PHB

A simple method is proposed for the determination of the release kinetics of small molecular weight drugs from amorphous PHB. The method uses the hipsochromic shift of the absorbance of active molecules caused by changes in the UV–Vis spectra as an effect of changing environment. Fuchsine with a strong hypsochromic shift was used as model drug in the experiments. A simple experimental setup was created which consists of the positioning of a thin PHB film into the center of the cell of a spectrometer. The light goes through the film and the surrounding solution and records their spectra simultaneously. The arrangement makes possible the quantitative determination of the dissolution of the drug without any further interference. The solution of Fick's second law under the initial and boundary conditions of the experimental setup and the numerical solution of the equation allow the quantitative analysis of the experimental results and the prediction of release kinetics. Excellent agreement was found between prediction and the experimental results. The approach made possible also the determination of the diffusion coefficient of the model drug in amorphous PHB. The developed method can be used for all polymers and with all drugs, which show sufficiently strong hypsochromic shift during their transfer from the polymer to the solution phase.     

Influence of mesoporous structure type on the controlled delivery of drugs: release of ibuprofen from MCM-48, SBA-15 and functionalized SBA-15

Ordered mesoporous materials exhibit potential features to be used as controlled drug delivery systems, including their wide range of chemical compositions and their outstanding textural and structural properties. Therefore, it is possible to control the drug release kinetics by tailoring such parameters. In this paper, mesoporous materials such as MCM-48 and SBA-15, which present different pore sizes (3.7 and 8.8 nm) and structural characteristics (3D-bicontinuous cubic and 2D-hexagonal, respectively) have been synthesized to evaluate their application as drug delivery system and to determine their influence on release kinetic of ibuprofen. Moreover, a chemical modification of the SBA-15 mesoporous material with octadecyltrimethoxysilane has also been performed to study its influence on the release rate of ibuprofen. The structural characteristics (3D cubic and 2D hexagonal pore system) do not affect the release kinetic profiles of ibuprofen. On the contrary, the pore size affects highly to the release kinetic profiles from first-order kinetic to zero-order kinetic for MCM-48 and SBA-15, respectively. Moreover, the importance of surface functionalization was demonstrate through the very fast delivery of ibuprofen from SBA-15 mesoporous materials functionalized with octadecyl chains.     

Enhancing calibration models for non-invasive near-infrared spectroscopical blood glucose determination

Partial least-squares regression (PLS) and radial basis function (RBF) networks are used to compute calibration models for non-invasive blood glucose determination by NIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. A model computation shows that even extremely small deviations of the spectra induce increased prediction errors. Since the spectral contribution of blood glucose is much smaller than deviations resulting from the non-invasive measuring process a method based on Pearson’s correlation coefficient can be used for evaluating the quality of the recorded spectra during the prediction step. Another method is based on the leverage values from the hat matrix of the RBF network. Both methods lead to a significant decrease in prediction error.     

The effect of different gloss levels on in-line monitoring of the thickness of printed layers by NIR spectroscopy

Near-infrared (NIR) reflection spectroscopy was used for monitoring the thickness or rather the coating weight of thin printed layers of transparent oil-based offset printing varnishes in a range from 0.5 to 5 g?m^?2. Quantitative analysis of the spectral data was carried out with partial least squares regression. Surface properties such as the gloss were found to strongly affect the prediction of the coating weight. This influence was minimized by the development of calibration models, which contained spectra of layers with a broad range of gloss levels. The prediction error of these models was in the order of 0.12 to 0.16 g?m^?2. In-line measurements were carried out at a sheet-fed offset printing press in order to test the performance of the models under real process control conditions. Varnishes were applied to paper at printing speeds of 90 or 180 m?min^?1. A close correlation between the predictions from in-line NIR spectra and the reference data from gravimetry was observed regardless of the specific degree of gloss of the layers (errors between 0.15 and 0.17 g?m^?2). The results clearly prove the efficiency of NIR reflection spectroscopy for quantitative investigations on thin layers in fast processes such as printing and demonstrate its analytical potential for quality and process control.

Study of ε-caprolactone polymerization by NIR spectroscopy

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is proposed for the in-line quantitative and kinetic study of the polymerization of ε-caprolactone and eventually to facilitate real-time control of the manufacturing process. Spectra were acquired with a fibre-optic probe operating in transflectance mode immersed in the reactor. The NIR data acquired were processed using a multivariate curve resolution alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) algorithm. The proposed method allows calculation of the concentration and spectral profiles of the species involved in the reaction. The key point of this method is the lack of reference concentrations needed to perform the MCR-ALS method. The use of an extended spectral matrix using both process and pure analyte spectra solves the rank deficiency. The concentration profiles obtained were used to calculate a kinetic fitting of the reaction, but the method was improved by applying kinetic constraints (hard modelling). The rate constants of batches at different temperatures and the energy of activation for this reaction were calculated. Whenever possible, the hard modelling combined with the MCR-ALS method improves the fit of the experimental data: the results show good correlation between the NIR and reference data and allow the collection of high-quality kinetic information on the reaction (rate constants and energy of activation).     

Zero-order drug release cellulose acetate nanofibers prepared using coaxial electrospinning

Novel drug-loaded cellulose acetate (CA) nanofibres were prepared by a modified coaxial electrospinning process, after which their zero-order drug release profiles were determined. Using 2 % (w/v) unspinnable CA solution as a sheath fluid, coaxial electrospinning can be conducted smoothly to generate ketoprofen (KET)-loaded CA nanofibres coated with a thin layer of blank CA. Scanning electron microscopy images demonstrated that nanofibres obtained from the modified coaxial process have a smaller average diameter, a narrower size distribution, more uniform structures, and smoother surface morphologies than those generated from single-fluid electrospinning. Transmission electron microscopy observations demonstrated that the nanofibres have a thin coating layer of blank CA on their surface with a thickness of ca. 15 nm. X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry verified that KET molecules in all of the nanofibres presented an amorphous state. Fourier transform infrared spectra demonstrated that CA has good compatibility with KET, which is brought about by hydrogen bonding. In vitro dissolution tests showed that the nanofibres coated with blank CA have no initial burst release effects and can provide a zero-order drug release profile over 96 h via a diffusion mechanism. The modified coaxial electrospinning method can provide new approaches in developing cellulose-based nano products with definite structural characteristics and improved functional performance.     

Controlled release of goserelin from microporous polyglycolide and polylactide

Two microporous biodegradable polyesters, i.e., PGA and PDLLA, were obtained by solid-state polymerization reaction from the sodium salts of the corresponding alpha-hydroxycarboxylic acids after washing out the by-product sodium chloride. The polymers were shaped by cold uniaxial pressing, by hot uniaxial pressing, and by extrusion at elevated temperature. Due to the special microporosity of the polymers, the introduction of drugs is possible at moderate temperature. The release kinetics of the model drug Phe and of the anti-tumor drug goserelin (an LH-RH agonist) from compacted polymer samples were fast (approx. 2 d). The release kinetics of goserelin were corrected for the decomposition of the drug. External coatings with PDLLA or PLLA obtained by immersion in polymer solution strongly slowed down the release kinetics in the case of the PDLLA coating, giving an almost linear release during 100 d. A coating with PLLA was unsuitable to slow down the release kinetics.     

PLLA Coating of Active Implants for Dual Drug Release

Cochlear implants, like other active implants, rely on precise and effective electrical stimulation of the target tissue but become encapsulated by different amounts of fibrous tissue. The current study aimed at the development of a dual drug release from a PLLA coating and from the bulk material to address short-term and long-lasting release of anti-inflammatory drugs. Inner-ear cytocompatibility of drugs was studied in vitro. A PLLA coating (containing diclofenac) of medical-grade silicone (containing 5% dexamethasone) was developed and release profiles were determined. The influence of different coating thicknesses (2.5, 5 and 10 µm) and loadings (10% and 20% diclofenac) on impedances of electrical contacts were measured with and without pulsatile electrical stimulation. Diclofenac can be applied to the inner ear at concentrations of or below 4 × 10⁻⁵ mol/L. Release of dexamethasone from the silicone is diminished by surface coating but not blocked. Addition of 20% diclofenac enhances the dexamethasone release again. All PLLA coatings serve as insulator. This can be overcome by using removable masking on the contacts during the coating process. Dual drug release with different kinetics can be realized by adding drug-loaded coatings to drug-loaded silicone arrays without compromising electrical stimulation.     

Fractal evolution of dual pH- and temperature-responsive P(NIPAM-co-AA)@BMMs with bimodal mesoporous silica core and coated-copolymer shell during drug delivery procedure via SAXS characterization

The dual (pH- and temperature-) responsive core-shell structured mesoporous nanomaterial P@BMMs were prepared using bimodal mesoporous silica as a core and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) P(NIPAM-co-AA) copolymer as a shell. Ibuprofen (IBU) was used as a model drug, and the effects of copolymer-coated shell thickness on drug loading and controlled release behavior were investigated by means of N₂ sorption isotherms, dynamic light scattering measurements, X-ray diffraction patterns, Fourier transform infrared spectra, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric profiles, and elemental analysis techniques. Particularly, their fractal evolutions in the drug delivery durations were explored via small angle X-ray scattering methods, demonstrating that the resultant P@BMMs before IBU-loading and after releasing possess the typical fractal features with spherical morphology. Meanwhile, the estimation for shell thickness of P@BMMs coating in different time intervals indicated that the drug-loaded capacity was improved with the increasing shell thickness, but drug-released rate varies, strongly depending on both shell thickness and release conditions. The drug delivery mechanism was preliminarily explored, following the Korsmeyer-Peppas model. Finally, cytotoxicity in cell and pharmacokinetic of released-IBU from hybrid nanocomposite in mice via intravenously injection were preliminarily explored.     

Discrimination of ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymers with different composition and prediction of the content of vinyl acetate in the copolymers and their melting points by near-infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics

Near-infrared (NIR) diffuse reflectance spectra have been measured by use of a rotating drawer for pellets of 12 kinds of ethylene/vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers with vinyl acetate (VA, the comonomer) varying in the 7–44 wt % range. They are unambiguously discriminated from one another by a score plot of the principal component analysis (PCA) Factor 1 and 2, based upon the NIR spectra pretreated by multiplicative scatter correction (MSC). Principal component (PC) weight loadings for Factor 1 show that the discrimination relies largely upon bands due to the overtone and combination modes arising from the VA unit. We have found one “outlier” in the score plot and elucidated its spectral characteristics based upon PC weight loadings for Factor 2. Partial least-squares (PLS) regression has been applied to propose calibration models which predict the VA content in EVA. The models have been prepared for three kinds of pretreatment, the first derivative, the second derivative, and MSC; and four kinds of wavelength regions. The NIR spectra in the 1100–2200 nm region after the MSC treatment has given the best correlation coefficient and standard error of prediction (SEP) of 0.998 and 0.70%, respectively. The calibration models, prepared by NIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopy for the pellet samples, are compared with previously reported models by NIR transmission spectroscopy for the flowing molten samples, and with those by Raman spectroscopy for the pellet samples. PLS regression has also allowed us to predict melting points of the copolymers with the correlation coefficient and SEP of 0.997 and 0.78°C, respectively. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 1529–1537, 1998     

Scale-up of batch kinetic models

The scale-up of batch kinetic models was studied by examining the kinetic fitting results of batch esterification reactions completed in 75 mL and 5 L reactors. Different temperatures, amounts of catalysts, and amounts of initial starting reagents were used to completely characterize the reaction. A custom written Matlab toolbox called GUIPRO was used to fit first-principles kinetic models directly to in-line NIR and Raman spectroscopic data. Second-order kinetic models provided calibration-free estimates of kinetic and thermodynamic reaction parameters, time dependent concentration profiles, and pure component spectra of reagents and product. The estimated kinetic and thermodynamic parameters showed good agreement between small-scale and large-scale reactions. The accuracy of pure component spectra estimates was validated by comparison to collected NIR and Raman pure component spectra. The model estimated product concentrations were also validated by comparison to concentrations measured by off-line GC analysis. Based on the good agreement between kinetic and thermodynamic parameters and comparison between actual and estimated concentration and spectral profiles, it was concluded that the scale-up of batch kinetic models was successful.     

Microspheres based on poly(3-hydroxy)butyrate for prolonged drug release

The kinetics of the controlled release of the antiproliferative drug dipyridamole from microspheres based on the biocompatible and biodegradable polymer poly(3-hydroxy)butyrate is studied. As carriers for dipyridamole, microspheres prepared from a solution of poly(3-hydroxy)butyrate by single emulsion method are used. Under in vitro conditions, the kinetic curves describing the release of dipyridamole from microspheres with diameters of 19, 63, and 92 μm show two characteristic regions: the region of fast drug release within a short time period and a well-pronounced continuous linear region. For microspheres with a diameter of 4 μm, the linear region is missing. Analysis of the kinetic curves illustrating controlled drug release together with the measurements on polymer degradation shows that their kinetic profiles depend on the diffusion-controlled process and hydrolytic degradation of poly(3-hydroxy)butyrate. The diffusion kinetic equation describing both linear and nonlinear regions of dipyridamole released from the microspheres involves the sum of two terms: desorption from the sphere via the diffusion-controlled mechanism and drug release via the zero-order reaction. The linear region of the drug release curve is explained by the zero-order hydrolysis of poly(3-hydroxy)butyrate. The diffusion coefficients and kinetic constants are calculated. For bigger microspheres, the existence of the continuous linear region in the corresponding kinetic curves makes it possible to use microsystems based on poly(3-hydroxy)butyrate and dipyridamole as novel systems for local prolonged drug delivery.     

Numerical study of a drug release profile in the transdermal drug delivery system

Drug release by diffusion from an unstressed thin polymer film with a dissolved crystallizable component was simulated using a kinetic Monte Carlo model. This model was used previously to study Ostwald ripening in a high crystallizable component regime and was shown to correctly simulate solvation, diffusion, and precipitation. In this study, the same model with modifications was applied to the drug transportation and release in the low concentration regime of interest to the transdermal drug delivery system (TDS) community. We demonstrate the model's utility by simulating diffusion, crystal precipitation, growth and shrinkage during storage, and drug release from the thin TDS to a surface under different conditions. The simulation results provide a first approximation for the drug release profile occurring from TDS to skin. It has been reported that growth of drug crystals in TDS occurs mainly in the middle third of the polymer layer at relatively higher temperatures. The results from the simulations showed that the release rate and concentration profile of a TDS depend on the dissolution process of the crystal. At low storage temperature, the drug precipitates to form small evenly distributed crystals throughout the thickness of the TDS patch. The release rate of these small, evenly distributed crystals most closely matched that of a completely dissolved drug.     

The drug release profile from calcium-induced alginate gel beads coated with an alginate hydrolysate

Calcium-induced alginate gel bead (Alg-Ca) coated with an alginate hydrolysate (Alg), e.g. the guluronic acid block (GB) was prepared and the model drug, hydrocortisone release profiles were investigated under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Their molecular weights were one sixth or one tenth that of Alg and the diffraction patterns of the hydrolysates resembled that of Alg. The drug release rate from Alg-Ca coated with GB apparently lowered than that of Alg-Ca (coating-free) in the gastric juice (pH1.2). And the coating did not resist the disintegration of Alg-Ca in the intestinal juice (pH 6.8) and the gel erosion accelerated the drug release. On the other hand, for the coated Alg-Ca containing chitosan, the drug release showed zero-order kinetics without rapid erosion of Alg-Ca. The drug release rate from Alg-Ca was able to be controlled by the coating and modifying the composition of the gel matrix.     

主成分分析-支持向量回归建模方法及应用研究

将主成分分析(PCA)用于近红外光谱的特征提取,并与支持向量回归(SVR)相结合,实现了主成分分析-支持向量回归(PCA-SVR)用于近红外光谱定量分析的建模方法。与单纯的SVR方法相比,不仅提高了运算速度,而且提高了模型的预测准确度。将PCA-SVR方法用于烟草样品中总糖和总挥发碱含量的测定,所得结果的预测均方根误差分别为1.323和0.0477;回收率分别为91.8%~112.6%和88.9%~120.2%。     

Porous YAG:Nd3+ fibers with excitation and emission in the human "NIR optical window" as luminescent drug carriers

The design and preparation of luminescent drug carriers has been a prosperous area of research for many years. However, the excitation and/or emission wavelength of such luminescent drug carriers haven't been optimized in the so-called human "near infrared (NIR) optical window", thus restricting their practical applications. Herein, we report the synthesis of electrospun porous YAG:Nd(3+) (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet) fibers with both excitation and emission in the "NIR optical window" as luminescent drug carriers. The YAG:Nd(3+) porous fibers were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, scanning transmission electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (STEM-EDX), and photoluminescence (PL). Ibuprofen (IBU) was used as a model drug to evaluate the drug-loading capacities and release profiles of the samples. BMSCs (bone mesenchymal stem cells) were used as model human cells to investigate cytotoxicity. Our results indicated that the YAG:Nd(3+) fibers possessed a fine, irregularly porous fibrous morphology with an average diameter of 378 nm. The florescence of the sample (1064 nm) could be excited over a wide wavelength range in the NIR region. During the release process of IBU in simulated body fluid (SBF), along with the dissolving of the drug, the solvent entered into the pores, and the emission intensity of the YAG:Nd(3+) fibers at 1064 nm decreased gradually, owing to a quenching effect of the hydroxy groups, thus provided an approach to track and monitor drug release. In addition, cytotoxicity investigations revealed that these YAG:Nd(3+) fibers were biocompatible with human cells. Consequently, the porous YAG:Nd(3+) fibers are a promising material for applications as advanced drug carriers.     

Nanocrystallization of anatase in amorphous TiO2

The kinetics of nanocrystallization in amorphous TiO₂ has been studied in non-isothermal conditions by DSC. It was found that this process could be well described by standard Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov (JMA) model with kinetic exponent m≅1. The kinetic parameters were calculated by simultaneous analysis of experimental data taken at different heating rates. These parameters were used as a basis for prediction of crystallization kinetics in isothermal conditions. The agreement between the JMA model prediction and experimental data depends on the method of preparation of amorphous TiO₂.     

Synthesis and Release Behavior of a Hybrid of Camptothecin Intercalated Dodecyl Sulfate Modified Layered Double Hydroxide

The intercalation of a non-ionic and poorly water-soluble drug,camptothecin（CPT）,into dodecyl sulfate （DS） modified layered double hydroxide（LDH） was carried out via a secondary intercalation method to obtain a CPT-DS-LDH hybrid.The in vitro CPT release eFxaminations from the hybrid show that the hybrid can well control the release of CPT,which indicates that the hybrid is a potential drug controlled-release system.Moreover,the intercalation kinetics of CPT into the DS modified LDH fits for the pseudo-second-order model.And the release kinetic process of CPT from the CPT-DS-LDH hybrid at pH=4.8 can be described with pseudo-first-order model,while that at pH=7.2 can be described with both pseudo-first-order model and pseudo-second-order model.Meanwhile,the release mechanism of CPT from the CPT-DS-LDH hybrid was discussed.     

中药口服固体制剂原辅料近红外光谱数据库的构建及应用

建立了中药口服固体制剂原辅料近红外(NIR)光谱数据库,采用模式识别方法研究了NIR光谱数据在物料分类和物性预测中的应用。使用便携式近红外光谱仪快速测量149批原辅料粉末的NIR漫反射光谱数据,并录入iTCM数据库。利用主成分分析(PCA)法探究NIR光谱数据对已知结构物料的分类能力,采用偏最小二乘(PLS)法研究了NIR光谱对原辅料物性参数和直接压片片剂性能的预测能力。经标准正态变量变换(SNV)+Savitzky-Golay(SG)平滑+一阶导数处理后的NIR光谱数据对微晶纤维素、乳糖、乙基纤维素、交联聚维酮和羟丙基甲基纤维素这5类辅料的区分能力较好。NIR光谱数据与原辅料粉末粒径、密度和吸湿性的相关性较强。NIR光谱信息作为物料物理性质的补充,可提高粉末直接压片片剂性能预测模型的性能。NIR光谱数据是iTCM数据库物性参数数据的补充,物性参数与NIR光谱数据的结合能更全面地表征原辅料的性质。