Vitrification from solution in restricted space: formation and stabilization of amorphous nifedipine in a nanoporous silica xerogel carrier.

PURPOSE: The goal was to find thermodynamic criteria that must be satisfied in order to prevent formation of crystalline state of drugs within a confined space (e.g., nanopores of inorganic solid). Similarly, criteria that lead to stabilization of amorphous drug within such pores were investigated.
METHODS: In the theoretical part, the classical thermodynamics of nucleation is applied to the conditions of a restricted space. The theoretical findings are verified using porous silica as a carrier and nifedipine as a model drug. The amorphicity of the latter is checked using XRD and thermal analysis (DTA, DSC) in combination with BET measurements.
RESULTS: It is shown that there exists a critical pore radius of a host below which the entrapped substance will solidify in an amorphous form. There also exists a critical pore radius below which the entrapped amorphous solid will not be able to crystallize. Specifically, incorporation of NIF into a silica xerogel with an average pore diameter of about 2.5 nm produces and stabilizes its amorphous form.
CONCLUSION: Entrapment of drugs into solid nanoporous carriers could be regarded as a potentially useful and simple method for production and/or stabilization of non-crystalline forms of a wide range of drugs.