Preferential solvation of nifedipine in some aqueous co-solvent mixtures

Abstract

Preferential solvation parameters of nifedipine (NIF) in ethanol (EtOH) + water and propylene glycol (PG) + water mixtures were obtained from their thermodynamic properties in solution using the inverse Kirkwood-Buff integrals. Preferential solvation parameter (delta x(1,3)) by both co-solvents is negative in the water-rich mixtures but positive in almost all the other compositions at 293.2, 303.2 and 313.2 K. Nevertheless, in EtOH-rich mixtures the values of delta x(1,3) are also negative. It can be assumed that in water-rich mixtures the hydrophobic hydration around the non-polar groups of NIF plays a relevant role in the solvation. The higher drug solvation by co-solvent in mixtures of similar solvent proportions and in co-solvent-rich mixtures could be due mainly to polarity effects. Moreover, in these mixtures the drug could be acting as a Lewis acid with the co-solvents molecules. Finally, in EtOH-rich mixtures the drug could be acting as a Lewis base with water molecules.