title: Surface free energy of ethylcellulose films and the influence of plasticizers.
abstract: The surface free energy parameters of ethylcellulose (EC) films were determined using the Lifshitz-van der Waals/acid-base approach and the influence of plasticizers on their surface energetics was assessed. Films were prepared by dip-coating glass slides in organic solvents containing EC and the advancing angles of drops of pure liquids on the EC films were measured with a contact angle goniometer using the captive drop technique. EC has lower surface free energy than cellulose. The acid-base (AB) term made only a slight contribution to the total surface free energy and the surfaces exhibited predominantly monopolar electron-donicity. The addition of plasticizer (dibutyl sebacate or dibutyl phthalate) resulted in a small decrease in the total surface free energy. The effects of film forming variables, including solvent system, concentration and post-formation treatment (annealing), on the surface free energy parameters of EC films were also investigated. These data were then used to analyze how the surface energetics affect the interaction of the EC films with other surfaces based on interfacial tension, work of adhesion and spreading coefficient calculations. Lifshitz-van der Waals (LW) interactions provided the major contribution to the work of adhesion for EC with all of the solid substrates analyzed. However, the AB interactions contributed significantly to the work of adhesion for EC with 'bipolar' substrates and to the spreading coefficients of EC over substrates. The consideration of work of adhesion and spreading coefficient based on surface free energy parameters may have potential use in evaluating factors affecting film adhesion and, furthermore, in optimizing pharmaceutical film coating processes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Luner
mesh_terms: D002482:Cellulose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D003993:Dibutyl Phthalate / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D003998:Dicarboxylic Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D008433:Mathematics; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D008752:Methylene Chloride / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D010968:Plasticizers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012997:Solvents; D013499:Surface Properties / Q000187:drug effects; D013500:Surface Tension / Q000187:drug effects; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D003998:Dicarboxylic Acids; D010968:Plasticizers; D012997:Solvents; D003993:Dibutyl Phthalate; C055481:dibutyl sebacate; D008752:Methylene Chloride; C013517:ethyl cellulose; D002482:Cellulose; D000432:Methanol