ABSTRACT
Abstract ................................................................................................. 240 8.1 Introduction .................................................................................. 240 8.2 Classification of Cellulose Materials ........................................... 243 8.3 Designing Celluloses as Smart Materials for
Pharmaceutical Applications ........................................................ 248 8.4 Conclusions .................................................................................. 261 Keywords .............................................................................................. 262 References ............................................................................................. 262
MIHAELA-DORINA ONOFREI*
Department of Physical Chemistry of Polymers, “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania
*E-mail: myha1976@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
Cellulose and cellulose derivatives have provided a very attractive area of research due to their possible applications in different economic sectors, especially pharmaceutical industries. Such materials are among the excipients frequently used in pharmaceutical compounded and industrialized products and, become more and more important in this area due to production of the new derivatives, and finding applications with different purposes. The fact that their intelligent behavior as reaction to environmental stimuli-temperature, pH, and ionic strength-has made materials based on cellulose attractive for various pharmaceutical applications (controlled-release drug delivery systems using matrices, binding agents, film formation during tablet coating, suspending agents for suspensions, thickening agents for ointments and creams, and hydrogels), discovery of their properties becomes essential. In this context, the chapter provides information on the basic properties of the cellulose and cellulose derivatives and how these polymers can be optimized to generate specific properties. The synthesis routes of novel materials and specific design techniques are examined, and the significant impact of the smart materials based on cellulose in the pharmaceutical industries is demonstrated.
