Simple ranking method using reference profiles: incremental elicitation of the preference parameters

4OR - The Simple Ranking Method using Reference Profiles (or SRMP) is a Multi-Criteria Decision Aiding technique based on the outranking paradigm, which allows to rank decision alternatives...     

Effect of β-cyclodextrins based nanosponges on the solubility of lipophilic pharmacological active substances (repaglinide)

Cyclodextrin based nanosponges (CD-NS) are nanostructured cross-linked polymers, usually obtained by reacting cyclodextrin with a cross-linker such as carbonyldiimidazole, organic carbonates or (±) epichlorohydrin. They have been used to increase the solubility and stability of poorly soluble pharmacological active substances, as they combine the complex forming properties of CDs and properties of polymers (such as the high molecular weight). The affinity of CDs for certain lipophilic molecules is characteristic to the polymeric nano-structured system and allows the development of specific drug delivery systems. Knowing that cyclodextrin capacity to form inclusion complexes is maintained and enhanced when the CD molecules form aggregates, cross-link together or copolymerize with other compounds, we have synthesized cyclodextrin based nanosponges (from β-cyclodextrin and sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin). The complexing properties of the polymers were investigated against repaglinide (a hypoglycemic agent, practically insoluble in water). Solubility studies were performed according to the method reported by Higuchi and Connors and the phase solubility diagrams were plotted. The repaglinide-nanosponges complexes were prepared, lyophilized and the resulted inclusion complexes were characterized by FT-IR and NMR. The solubility profile and the loading capacity of the cyclodextrin based polymers were also determined.     

Synthesis of gold nanoparticles by microemulsion assisted photoreduction method

A new, clean, cost-effective and rapid method for the synthesis of stable spherical gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is developed. This novel technique combines microemulsion as one of soft-nanotechnology techniques of wet chemistry, with photo-physics of UV-radiation in a unique versatile method to design and obtain controlled nanostructures for multifunctional materials. Based on a phase diagram in ternary water/Brij 30/n-heptane system pristine, and thiol functionalized, gold nanoparticles were obtained by a microemulsion assisted photoreduction technique, allowing increased flexibility during the synthesis and selection of materials. The spherical nanoparticles obtained by this route show a homogeneous size distribution, with an average diameter of 11 nm, for pristine gold nanoparticles and of 12 nm, for functionalized species. The evolution of the system at the nanoscale has been studied using, in tandem, UV-VIS and DLS measurements. The structure, size and shape of the final nanoparticles obtained have been evaluated by adequate instrumental techniques: FTIR, XRD and TEM image analysis. Kinetic studies have also been performed in order to follow the evolution of nanospecies during irradiation procedure.