Supercritical Solution Impregnation of naproxen into mesoporous SiO2 SBA-15

Naproxen was impregnated into mesoporous SiO2 SBA-15 using the Supercritical Solution Impregnation (SSI) technique. Experiments were performed at 50–70ºC and 15–25 MPa in pure CO2 and CO2 modified with ethanol, ethyl acetate and menthol. Materials were also impregnated from liquid solutions in ethanol and chloroform. In the SSI experiments, naproxen was deposited on the internal surface of the mesopores as shown by N2-adsorption experiments. The percentage of naproxen impregnated decreased from 11.1% to 7.4% mass as the CO2 density increased. Likewise, adding ethanol, ethyl acetate or menthol to CO2 decreased the percentage of naproxen adsorbed on the support. Thermal analysis showed that naproxen impregnated on SiO2 by SSI became amorphous. FTIR and XRD confirmed the loss of crystallinity of naproxen and its interaction with the SiO2 support. Samples impregnated in liquid medium however kept partially their crystallinity. Release tests of naproxen on SiO2 SBA-15 prepared by SSI followed an almost zero-order release profile; the drug is released at a constant rate into a PBS pH= 7.4 medium. The release rate slowed down in comparison to that of pure naproxen, due to the interaction of the drug with the support and the diffusion of the drug outside the support mesopores. Thus, a sustained release system was achieved, which may help to attain a longer therapeutic effect with a lower naproxen dose.