Solubility of nonelectrolytes in polar solvents IV: nonpolar drugs in mixed solvents.

The molecular and group surface area approach to solubility is shown to be applicable to mixed aqueous solvent systems. An equation is derived which is consistent with the exponential increase in the aqueous solubility of nonpolar drugs that frequently accompanies the addition of a cosolvent. This equation predicts that: (a) the ability of a drug to be solubilized by a cosolvent is proportional to its hydrophobic surface area per molecule, and (b) the ability of a cosolvent to solubilize any drug is inversely proportional to its interfacial tension against a reference liquid hydrocarbon. These predictions are experimentally verified with solubility studies of several alkyl p-aminobenzoates in propylene glycol-water mixtures and of hexyl p-aminobenzoate in mixtures of water the ethanol, methanol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerin, and formamide.