Vladislav Rac

The adsorption of pharmaceutically active compounds from aqueous solutions onto activated carbons

In this study, the adsorption of pharmaceutically active compounds - salicylic acid, acetylsalicylic acid, atenolol and diclofenac-Na onto activated carbons has been studied. Three different commercial activated carbons, possessing ∼650, 900 or 1500m(2)g(-1) surface areas were used as solid adsorbents. These materials were fully characterized - their textural, surface features and points of zero charge have been determined. The adsorption was studied from aqueous solutions at 303K using batch adsorption experiments and titration microcalorimetry, which was employed in order to obtain the heats evolved as a result of adsorption. The maximal adsorption capacities of investigated solids for all target pharmaceuticals are in the range of 10(-4)molg(-1). The obtained maximal retention capacities are correlated with the textural properties of applied activated carbon. The roles of acid/base features of activated carbons and of molecular structures of adsorbate molecules have been discussed. The obtained results enabled to estimate the possibility to use the activated carbons in the removal of pharmaceuticals by adsorption.

The adsorption of nicotine from aqueous solutions on different zeolite structures

The present work is focused on the adsorption of nicotine from aqueous solutions. Based on the data available in the literature, serious concern is claimed regarding the appearance of nicotine in ground, surface and municipal wastewaters. In order to investigate the possibility of abatement by adsorption, three different types of zeolites (BEA, MFI and HEU) have been applied as adsorbents. In addition, the adsorption was performed on activated carbon, a solid customarily used for removal of pollutants from water. The adsorption of nicotine was studied by isothermal microcalorimetry, which provided the heats evolved as a result of adsorption. The values of these heats revealed that the investigated solids are energetically heterogeneous for the adsorption of nicotine from aqueous solution. Additionally, the amounts of adsorbed pollutant were determined and presented in the form of adsorption isotherms. The obtained adsorption isotherms were interpreted using Langmuir, Freundlich, and Sips equations; the latter was found to express high level of agreement with experimental data of nicotine adsorption on the investigated solids. The possibilities to regenerate the adsorbents were examined by means of thermogravimetry coupled with mass spectrometry. From all obtained results, it was possible to distinguish zeolite BEA as a material which possesses the capacity for adsorption of nicotine comparable to that of activated carbon.

Computational and experimental model of transdermal iontophorethic drug delivery system

The concept of iontophoresis is often applied to increase the transdermal transport of drugs and other bioactive agents into the skin or other tissues. It is a non-invasive drug delivery method which involves electromigration and electroosmosis in addition to diffusion and is shown to be a viable alternative to conventional administration routs such as oral, hypodermic and intravenous injection. In this study we investigated, experimentally and numerically, in vitro drug delivery of dexamethasone sodium phosphate to porcine skin. Different current densities, delivery durations and drug loads were investigated experimentally and introduced as boundary conditions for numerical simulations. Nernst-Planck equation was used for calculation of active substance flux through equivalent model of homogeneous hydrogel and skin layers. The obtained numerical results were in good agreement with experimental observations. A comprehensive in-silico platform, which includes appropriate numerical tools for fitting, could contribute to iontophoretic drug-delivery devices design and correct dosage and drug clearance profiles as well as to perform much faster in-silico experiments to better determine parameters and performance criteria of iontophoretic drug delivery.