Investigation into the characteristics of crystal dissolution and growth through surface chemistry and mass transfer in the boundary layer

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The performance of a drug is dependent on the bioavailability of the API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient). In the case of many oral drugs, this is influenced by its dissolution characteristics. Indeed, dissolution is usually tested throughout a drug's development lifetime. Currently, the Noyes-Whitney model is used in most cases, which only considers the difference in the bulk concentration and the concentration at the solid-liquid interface. This model makes several assumptions about the concentrations involved and fails to consider the surface chemistry. It would therefore be useful to make more accurate predictions about a substance's solubility based on its material characteristics to expedite the drug development process. For instance, it may help influence decisions on the dosage composition. This will require gaining a better understanding of the kinetics of dissolution on a fundamental level.Ideally, a material's dissolution characteristics would be determinable using only knowledge of its surface chemistry (including how this varies between different faces) and how its interaction with the solvent molecules. Though this may not be entirely achievable, it is still worth exploring new ways of predicting a substance's dissolution behavior.A key aspect in this research is gaining a better understanding of the face specific dissolution rates of single crystals, so that theories regarding surface energy interactions can be validated. To achieve this, it will be necessary to employ various techniques, such as Mach-Zehnder and Michelson interferometry, as well as optical microscopy to observe any changes in the crystal morphology. Additionally, it is also worth looking at differences in dissolution between different crystal structures (e.g., form I and II of Paracetamol), to determine how this may influence the overall efficacy of drug formulations.