Application of NMR Relaxometry to Study Nanostructured Poly(vinyl alcohol)/MMT/Cephalexin Materials for Use in Drug Delivery Systems

Abstract

Polymers containing nanoparticles dispersed and distributed in the matrix can be used for control of drug release. In this work, hydrophilic matrix systems were prepared using poly(vinyl alcohol) and unmodified clay containing the same amount of cephalexin. The materials were obtained through in situ polymerization and were characterized by the conventional technique of FTIR and NMR relaxometry, through determination of proton spin-lattice relaxation time, in order to understand the molecular behavior of the new materials. The NMR relaxometry data showed that the new materials containing low quantities of clay (0.25% and 0.75%) and the same amount of cephalexin (0.5 g) had very good dispersion and distribution of the clay and drug in the polymer matrix. The combination of clay and cephalexin formed a more homogenous material with a narrow domain curve and low relaxation values. The material containing 0.25% clay presented a mixed morphology, with part exfoliated and part intercalated, as could be seen from the relaxation domain distribution, which was larger than that for material with 0.75% clay.