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Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes In Hydrophobic Drug Delivery, Kun Chen

Dissertations

The direct incorporation of carboxylated carbon nanotubes (f-CNTs) into hydrophobic drug particles during their formation via anti-solvent precipitation is presented. The approach is tested using two drugs namely antifungal agent Griseofulvin (GF) and antibiotic Sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) that have very different aqueous solubility. It is observed that the f-CNTs dispersed in the water serve as nucleating sites for crystallization and are readily incorporated into the drug particles without altering crystal structure or other properties. The results show that the hydrophilic f-CNTs dramatically enhance dissolution rate for both drugs. The increased degree of functionalization leads to higher hydrophilicity and therefore faster dissolution …