The use of inverse gas chromatography for the study of lactose and pharmaceutical materials used in dry powder inhalers

Reproducibility of inverse gas chromatography under infinite dilution: Results and interpretations of an interlaboratory study

Over the last years, inverse gas chromatography (IGC) proved to be a versatile and sensitive analytical technique for physicochemical properties. However, the comparability of results obtained by different users and devices remains a topic for debate. This is the first time, an interlaboratory study using different types of IGC instruments is reported. Eight organizations with different IGC devices defined a common lab measurement protocol to analyse two standard materials, silica and lactose. All data was collected in a standard result form and has been treated identically with the objective to identify experimentally observed differences and not potentially different data treatments. The calculated values of the dispersive surface energy vary quite significantly (silica: 22 mJ/m2 - 34 mJ/m2, lactose 37 mJ/m2 - 51 mJ/m2) and so do the ISP values and retention volumes for both materials. This points towards significant and seemingly undiscovered differences in the operation of the instruments and the obtained underlying primary data, even under the premise of standard conditions. Variations are independent of the instrument type and uncertainties in flow rates or the injected quantities of probe molecules may be potential factors for the differences. This interlaboratory study demonstrates that the IGC is a very sensitive analytical tool, which detects minor changes, but it also shows that for a proper comparison, the measurement conditions have to be checked with great care. A publicly available standard protocol and material, for which this study can be seen as a starting point, is still needed to judge on the measurements and the resulting parameters more objectively.

Some Irregularities in the Evaluation of Surface Parameters of Solid Materials by Inverse Gas Chromatography

The London dispersive component of the surface energy of solid particles, their specific interactions, and Lewis acid-base parameters were usually calculated by using the inverse gas chromatography technique at infinite dilution. Serious irregularities were committed by some authors when using the Schultz method or Dorris-Gray relation. We proved that these methods cannot be used because they did not consider the important role of the temperature on variations in the surface area of solvents. We corrected in this paper some recent results by using new relations of the surface area of organic probes depending on the temperature and by using different molecular models using different geometries and mathematical calculations. The application of our new thermal model gave more precise results of the dispersive energy and Lewis's acid-base constants of solid particles. The new thermal model was applied to several solid surfaces such as Ni-MOF-74, MgO, ZnO, TiO2, and Zn(OH)2. The obtained results showed a stronger Lewis basicity of MgO solid substrate and higher Lewis acidity of the Ni-MOF-74 surface.

Predicting the Strength of Cohesive and Adhesive Interparticle Interactions for Dry Powder Inhalation Blends of Terbutaline Sulfate with α-Lactose Monohydrate

Grid-based systematic search methods are used to investigate molecule-molecule, molecule-surface, and surface-surface contributions to interparticle interactions in order to identify the crystal faces that most strongly affect particle behavior during powder blend formulation and delivery processes. The model system comprises terbutaline sulfate (TBS) as an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and α-form lactose monohydrate (LMH). A combination of systematic molecular modeling and X-ray computed tomography (XCT) is used to determine not only the adhesive and cohesive interparticle energies but, also the agglomeration behavior during manufacturing and de-agglomeration behavior during delivery after inhalation. This is achieved through a detailed examination of the balance between the adhesive and cohesive energies with the XCT results confirming the blend segregation tendencies, through the particle-particle de-agglomeration process. The results reveal that the cohesive interaction energies of TBS-TBS are higher than the adhesive energies between TBS and LMH, but that the cohesive energies of LMH-LMH are the smallest between molecule and molecule, molecule and surface, and surface and surface. This shows how systematic grid-search molecular modeling along with XCT can guide the digital formulation design of inhalation powders in order to achieve optimum aerosolization and efficacy for inhaled medicines. This will lead to faster pharmaceutical design with less variability, higher quality, and enhanced performance.

Understanding Sorption Mechanisms Directly from Isotherms

Currently, more than 100 isotherm models coexist for the six IUPAC isotherm types. However, no mechanistic insights can be reached when several models, each claiming a different mechanism, fit an experimental isotherm equally well. More frequently, popular isotherm models [such as the site-specific models like Langmuir, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer (GAB)] have been applied to real and complex systems that break their basic assumptions. To overcome such conundrums, we establish a universal approach to model all isotherm types, attributing the difference to the sorbate-sorbate and sorbate-surface interactions in a systematic manner. We have generalized the language of the traditional sorption models (such as the monolayer capacity and the BET constant) to the model-free concepts of partitioning and association coefficients that can be applied across the isotherm types. Through such a generalization, the apparent contradictions, caused by applying the site-specific models alongside with cross-sectional area of sorbates for the purpose of surface area determination, can be eliminated straightforwardly.

Recent developments in lactose blend formulations for carrier-based dry powder inhalation

Lactose is the most commonly used excipient in carrier-based dry powder inhalation (DPI) formulations. Numerous inhalation therapies have been developed using lactose as a carrier material. Several theories have described the role of carriers in DPI formulations. Although these theories are valuable, each DPI formulation is unique and are not described by any single theory. For each new formulation, a specific development trajectory is required, and the versatility of lactose can be exploited to optimize each formulation. In this review, recent developments in lactose-based DPI formulations are discussed. The effects of varying the material properties of lactose carrier particles, such as particle size, shape, and morphology are reviewed. Owing to the complex interactions between the particles in a formulation, processing adhesive mixtures of lactose with the active ingredient is crucial. Therefore, blending and filling processes for DPI formulations are also reviewed. While the role of ternary agents, such as magnesium stearate, has increased, lactose remains the excipient of choice in carrier-based DPI formulations. Therefore, new developments in lactose-based DPI formulations are crucial in the optimization of inhalable medicine performance.

Surface Area Estimation: Replacing the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller Model with the Statistical Thermodynamic Fluctuation Theory

Surface area estimation using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis has been beset by difficulties. The BET model has been applied routinely to systems that break its basic assumptions. Even though unphysical results arising from force-fitting can be eliminated by the consistency criteria, such a practice, in turn, complicates the simplicity of the linearized BET plot. We have derived a general isotherm from the statistical thermodynamic fluctuation theory, leading to facile isotherm fitting because our isotherm is free of the BET assumptions. The reinterpretation of the monolayer capacity and the BET constant has led to a statistical thermodynamic generalization of the BET analysis. The key is Point M, which is defined as the activity at which the sorbate-sorbate excess number at the interface is at its minimum (i.e., the point of strongest sorbate-sorbate exclusion). The straightforwardness of identifying Point M and the ease of fitting by the statistical thermodynamic isotherm have been demonstrated using zeolite 13X and a Portland cement paste. The adsorption at Point M is an alternative for the BET monolayer capacity, making the BET model and its consistency criteria unnecessary. The excess number (i) replaces the BET constant as the measure of knee sharpness and monolayer coverage, (ii) links macroscopic (isotherms) to microscopic (simulation), and (iii) serves as a measure of sorbate-sorbate interaction as a signature of sorption cooperativity in porous materials. Thus, interpretive clarity and ease of analysis have been achieved by a statistical thermodynamic generalization of the BET analysis.

New Methodology to Study the Dispersive Component of the Surface Energy and Acid-Base Properties of Silica Particles by Inverse Gas Chromatography at Infinite Dilution

A new methodology was proposed to determine the dispersive component of the surface energy ${\gamma}_s^d$ of a solid taking into account the effect of the temperature on the surface area of n-alkanes, methylene group (${a}_{- CH2-}$) and polar molecules, thus defeating the method used by Dorris-Gray Schultz et al. We determined the correct ${\gamma}_s^d$ of the surface energy, the specific free energy, enthalpy and entropy of adsorption of polar molecules as well as the acid base constants of silica particles with an excellent accuracy. We confirmed the dependence of the dispersive component of the surface energy on the variations of the surface areas of organic molecules used in IGC technique at infinite dilution. The specific properties of interactions of silica particles were determined. The new proposed model took into account this thermal effect. Obtained results proved that the other used IGC methods gave inaccurate values of the specific parameters of silica surface, except for the vapor pressure method that led to excellent results of the specific free energy, enthalpy and entropy of adsorption, and the acid-base constants of the silica particles.

A digital workflow from crystallographic structure to single crystal particle attributes for predicting the formulation properties of terbutaline sulfate

A detailed inter-molecular (synthonic) analysis of terbutaline sulfate, an ionic addition salt for inhalation drug formulation, is related to its crystal morphology, the surface chemistry of the habit faces and hence to its crystal surface energy.

On the detection of carbon fibre storage contamination and its effect on the fibre-matrix interface

Contamination caused by inappropriate carbon fibre (CF) storage may have an impact on their end use in reinforced composite materials. Due to the chemical complexity of CFs it is not easy to detect potential contaminants, especially at the early stage during manufacturing and handling. In this paper, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Surface Energy Analysis (IGC-SEA) were used to assess the surfaces of CFs stored in polyolefin zip-lock bags for possible contamination. Only after over 2 months in-bag storage, was XPS capable of detecting a minor increase in nitrogen on the CF surface while FTIR revealed the presence of fatty acid amides and fatty acids, both associated with the storage media. However neither of these techniques were sensitive enough to show significant evolution of the amount of contamination as a function of storage time. In contrast, IGC-SEA distinguished surface energy differences between CFs before and after storage. These differences were found to change as a function of storage time, which were attributed to increases in contamination amounts. Single fibre fragmentation tests indicated that the surface contamination had potential to disrupt the fibre-matrix interface. These findings provide a new method for assessing the surface contamination of CFs with potential application to other materials.

Void forming index: A new parameter for detecting microstructural transformation caused by powder agglomeration

As powder agglomeration during storage causes a decrease in the performance of dry powder inhalers (DPIs), it is important to understand the properties of powder agglomeration in developing DPIs. Generally, powder agglomeration is caused by capillary force and crystalline transformation in conditions of higher humidity. It is, however, difficult to correlate crystalline transformation and powder agglomeration, especially when the crystalline transformation is limited. In this study, we focused on the application of inverse gas chromatography (iGC) to detect powder agglomeration directly. There was a slight change between the powder state and lactose agglomerates using powder X-ray diffraction, and dynamic vapor sorption. On the other hand, a change in pressure drop was found during measurement of lactose using iGC. After measurement by iGC, powdered lactose agglomerated. This finding suggests that a pressure drop is related to powder agglomeration and can be employed to detect the onset of powder agglomeration. Based on these findings, we propose a novel index-the Void Forming Index (VFI)-which is related to the pressure drop with iGC. The VFI is a useful index in the evaluation of powder agglomeration, and will be especially useful during DPI development.

Comparison of the cohesion-adhesion balance approach to colloidal probe atomic force microscopy and the measurement of Hansen partial solubility parameters by inverse gas chromatography for the prediction of dry powder inhalation performance

The abilities of the cohesive-adhesive balance approach to atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the measurement of Hansen partial solubility parameters by inverse gas chromatography (IGC) to predict the performance of carrier-based dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulations were compared. Five model drugs (beclometasone dipropionate, budesonide, salbutamol sulphate, terbutaline sulphate and triamcinolone acetonide) and three model carriers (erythritol, α-lactose monohydrate and d-mannitol) were chosen, giving fifteen drug-carrier combinations. Comparison of the AFM and IGC interparticulate adhesion data suggested that they did not produce equivalent results. Comparison of the AFM data with the in vitro fine particle delivery of appropriate DPI formulations normalised to account for particle size differences revealed a previously observed pattern for the AFM measurements, with a slightly cohesive AFM CAB ratio being associated with the highest fine particle fraction. However, no consistent relationship between formulation performance and the IGC data was observed. The results as a whole highlight the complexity of the many interacting variables that can affect the behaviour of DPIs and suggest that the prediction of their performance from a single measurement is unlikely to be successful in every case.

Investigation of the Changes in Aerosolization Behavior Between the Jet-Milled and Spray-Dried Colistin Powders Through Surface Energy Characterization

This study aimed to investigate the surface energy factors behind improved aerosolization performance of spray-dried colistin powder formulations compared with those produced by jet milling. Inhalable colistin powder formulations were produced by jet milling or spray drying (with or without l-leucine). Scanning electron micrographs showed the jet-milled particles had irregularly angular shapes, whereas the spray-dried particles were more spherical. Significantly higher fine particle fractions were measured for the spray-dried (43.8%-49.6%) versus the jet-milled formulation (28.4%) from a Rotahaler at 60 L/min; albeit the size distribution of the jet-milled powder was smaller. Surprisingly, addition of l-leucine in the spray drying feed solution gave no significant improvement in fine particle fraction. As measured by inverse gas chromatography, spray-dried formulations had significantly (p < 0.001) lower dispersive, specific, and total surface energy values and more uniform surface energy distributions than the jet-milled powder. Interestingly, no significant difference was measured in the specific and total surface energy values between the spray-dried formulation with or without l-leucine. Based on our previous findings in the self-assembling behavior of colistin in aqueous solution and the surface energy data obtained here, we propose the self-assembly of colistin molecules during spray drying contributed significantly to the reduction of surface free energy and the superior aerosolization performance.

Inverse Gas Chromatography with Film Cell Unit: An Attractive Alternative Method to Characterize Surface Properties of Thin Films

Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) is widely used for the characterization of surfaces. The present work describes a novel IGC tool, the recently developed film cell module, which measures monolithic thin solid film surface properties, whereas only samples in powder or fiber state or polymer-coated supports can be studied by classic IGC. The surface energy of four different solid supports was measured using both classic IGC with columns packed with samples in the powder state, and IGC with the new film cell module or the sessile drop technique, using samples in the film state. The total surface energy and its dispersive and specific components were measured for glass, polyethylene, polyamide and polytetrafluoroethylene. Similar results were obtained for the four materials using the three different techniques. The main conclusion is that the new film cell module for IGC is an attractive alternative to the sessile drop technique as it gives very accurate and reproducible results for surface energy components, with significant savings in time and the possible control of sample humidity and temperature. This film cell module for IGC extends the application field of IGC to any thin solid film and can be used to study the effect of any surface treatment on surface energy.

Surface energy of silk fibroin and mechanical properties of silk cocoon composites

Both the physical and physiochemical properties of domestic and wild silkworm silk fibroin were studied, including surface energy and surface energy heterogeneity.

Inverse gas chromatography applications: a review

Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) is a versatile, powerful, sensitive and relatively fast technique for characterizing the physicochemical properties of materials. Due to its applicability in determining surface properties of solids in any form such as films, fibres and powders of both crystalline and amorphous structures, IGC became a popular technique for surface characterization, used extensively soon after its development. One of the most appealing features of IGC that led to its popularity among analytical scientists in early years was its similarity in principle to analytical gas chromatography (GC). The main aspect which distinguishes IGC experiments from conventional GC is the role of mobile and stationary phases. Contrary to conventional GC, the material under investigation is placed in the chromatographic column and a known probe vapour is used to provide information on the surface. In this review, information concerning the history, instrumentation and applications is discussed. Examples of the many experiments developed for IGC method are selected and described. Materials that have been analysed include polymers, pharmaceuticals, minerals, surfactants, and nanomaterials. The properties that can be determined using the IGC technique include enthalpy and entropy of sorption, surface energy (dispersive and specific components), work of co/adhesion, miscibility and solubility parameters, surface heterogeneity, glass transition temperature, and specific surface area.

Rapid characterisation of the inherent dispersibility of respirable powders using dry dispersion laser diffraction

Understanding and controlling powder de-agglomeration is of great importance in the development of dry powder inhaler (DPI) products. Dry dispersion laser diffraction measures particle size readily under controlled dispersing conditions, but has not been exploited fully to characterise inherent powder dispersibility. The aim of the study was to utilise particle size-dispersing pressure titration curves to characterise powder cohesivity and ease of de-agglomeration. Seven inhaled drug/excipient powders (beclometasone dipropionate, budesonide, fluticasone propionate, lactohale 300, salbutamol base, salmeterol xinafoate and tofimilast) were subjected to a range of dispersing pressures (0.2-4.5 Bar) in the Sympatec HELOS/RODOS laser diffractometer and particle size measurements were recorded. Particle size-primary pressure data were used to determine the pressures required for complete de-agglomeration. The latter were employed as an index of the cohesive strength of the powder (critical primary pressure; CPP), and the curves were modelled empirically to derive the pressure required for 50% de-agglomeration (DA₅₀). The powders presented a range of CPP (1.0-3.5 Bar) and DA₅₀ (0.23-1.45 Bar) which appeared to be characteristic for different mechanisms of powder de-agglomeration. This approach has utility as a rapid pre-formulation tool to measure inherent powder dispersibility, in order to direct the development strategy of DPI products.