Lorentz contact resonance spectroscopy for nanoscale characterisation of structural and mechanical properties of biological, dental and pharmaceutical materials

Water-induced phase separation of miconazole-poly (vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) amorphous solid dispersions: Insights with confocal fluorescence microscopy

The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of confocal fluorescence microscopy (CFM) to study the water-induced phase separation of miconazole-poly (vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) (mico-PVPVA) amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs), induced during preparation, upon storage at high relative humidity (RH) and during dissolution. Different fluorescent dyes were added to drug-polymer films and the location of the dyes was evaluated using CFM. Orthogonal techniques, in particular atomic force microscopy (AFM) coupled with nanoscale infrared spectroscopy (AFM-nanoIR), were used to provide additional analysis of the drug-polymer blends. The initial miscibility of mico-PVPVA ASDs prepared under low humidity conditions was confirmed by AFM-nanoIR. CFM enabled rapid identification of drug-rich and polymer-rich phases in phase separated films prepared under high humidity conditions. The identity of drug- and polymer-rich domains was confirmed using AFM-nanoIR imaging and localized IR spectroscopy, together with Lorentz contact resonance (LCR) measurements. The CFM technique was then utilized successfully to further investigate phase separation in mico-PVPVA films exposed to high RH storage and to visualize phase separation dynamics following film immersion in buffer. CFM is thus a promising new approach to study the phase behavior of ASDs, utilizing drug and polymer specific dyes to visualize the evolution of heterogeneity in films exposed to water.

Understanding the Impact of Water on the Miscibility and Microstructure of Amorphous Solid Dispersions: An AFM-LCR and TEM-EDX Study

Miscibility is critical for amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs). Phase-separated ASDs are more prone to crystallization, and thus can lose their solubility advantage leading to product failure. Additionally, dissolution performance can be diminished as a result of phase separation in the ASD matrix. Water is known to induce phase separation during storage for some ASDs. However, the impact of water introduced during preparation has not been as thoroughly investigated to date. The purpose of this study was to develop a mechanistic understanding of the effect of water on the phase behavior and microstructure of ASDs. Evacetrapib and two polymers were selected as the model system. Atomic force microscopy coupled with Lorentz contact resonance, and transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were employed to evaluate the microstructure and composition of phase-separated ASDs. It was found that phase separation could be induced via two routes: solution-state phase separation during ASD formation caused by water absorption during film formation by a hydrophilic solvent, or solid-phase separation following exposure to high RH during storage. Water contents of as low as 2% in the organic solvent system used to dissolve the drug and polymer were found to result in phase separation in the resultant ASD film. These findings have profound implications on lab-scale ASD preparation and potentially also for industrial production. Additionally, these high-resolution imaging techniques combined with orthogonal analyses are powerful tools to visualize structural changes in ASDs, which in turn will enable better links to be made between ASD structure and performance.

Nanoscale Infrared, Thermal, and Mechanical Characterization of Telaprevir-Polymer Miscibility in Amorphous Solid Dispersions Prepared by Solvent Evaporation

Miscibility is of great interest for pharmaceutical systems, in particular, for amorphous solid dispersions, as phase separation can lead to a higher tendency to crystallize, resulting in a loss in solubility, decreased dissolution rate, and compromised bioavailability. The purpose of this study was to investigate the miscibility behavior of a model poorly water-soluble drug, telaprevir (TPV), with three different polymers using atomic force microscopy-based infrared, thermal, and mechanical analysis. Standard atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging together with nanoscale infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR), nanoscale thermal analysis (nanoTA), and Lorentz contact resonance (LCR) measurements were used to evaluate the miscibility behavior of TPV with three polymers, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), HPMC acetate succinate (HPMCAS), and poly(vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) (PVPVA), at different drug to polymer ratios. Phase separation was observed with HPMC and PVPVA at drug loadings above 10%. For HPMCAS, a smaller miscibility gap was observed, with phase separation being observed at drug loadings higher than ∼30-40%. The domain size of phase-separated regions varied from below 50 nm to a few hundred nanometers. Localized infrared spectra, nano-TA measurements, images from AFM-based IR, and LCR measurements showed clear contrast between the continuous and discrete domains for these phase-separated systems, whereby the discrete domains were drug-rich. Fluorescence microscopy provided additional evidence for phase separation. These methods appear to be promising to evaluate miscibility in drug-polymer systems with similar Tgs and submicron domain sizes. Furthermore, such findings are of obvious importance in the context of contributing to a mechanistic understanding of amorphous solid dispersion phase behavior.

The importance of correcting for variable probe–sample interactions in AFM-IR spectroscopy: AFM-IR of dried bacteria on a polyurethane film

Interplay between AFM-IR probe – sample interactions and signal transduction for bacteria – PU bilayer.