title: Drug release from slabs and the effects of surface roughness.
abstract: We discuss diffusion-controlled drug release from slabs or thin films. Analytical and numerical results are presented for slabs with flat surfaces, having a uniform thickness. Then, considering slabs with rough surfaces, the influence of a non-uniform slab thickness on release kinetics is numerically investigated. The numerical release profiles are obtained using Monte Carlo simulations. Release kinetics is quantified through the stretched exponential (or Weibull) function and the resulting dependence of the two parameters of this function on the thickness of the slab, for flat surfaces, and the amplitude of surface fluctuations (or the degree of thickness variability) in case of roughness. We find that a higher surface roughness leads to a faster drug release.
authors.affiliation: University of Patras, Materials Science Dept., Rio GR-26504, Greece; Crete Center for Quantum Complexity and Nanotechnology (CCQCN), Physics Dept., University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece. Electronic address: georgek@upatras.gr.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kalosakas
authors.affiliation: University of Patras, Rio GR-26504, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martini
mesh_terms: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D065546:Drug Liberation; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations
keywords: Controlled drug release; Diffusion; Monte Carlo simulations; Slabs/thin films; Stretched exponential release curves; Surface roughness