Interfacial adsorption of polymers and surfactants: implications for the properties of disperse systems of pharmaceutical interest.

This review considers basic aspects of the interfacial adsorption of polymers and surfactants, with particular reference to the relevance of these processes for the formulation of pharmaceutical disperse systems. First, we discuss different approaches to the interpretation of adsorption isotherms, paying particular attention to systems containing more than one adsorbate. Second, we consider the implications of adsorption for the properties of suspensions, emulsions, and colloidal systems, particularly as regards the use of polymers and surfactants for stabilizing disperse systems, for controlling flocculation, and for modifying the biopharmaceutical behavior of colloidal drug carriers. Finally, we present a number of representative examples of the importance of adsorption of macromolecules in pharmaceutical systems.