Molecular states of prednisolone dispersed in folded sheet mesoporous silica (FSM-16)

Modes of molecular interaction between prednisolone and mesoporous materials have been investigated by the technique of solid-state NMR. Folded sheet mesoporous material (FSM-16) was used as host material and prednisolone was used as guest molecule. A suspension of FSM-16 in prednisolone dichloromethane solution was evaporated to prepare the evaporated samples. 13C NMR spectroscopy was used as well as powder X-ray diffractometry and differential scanning calorimetry. Crystalline behavior of prednisolone disappeared in the evaporated samples, indicating the monomolecular dispersion of prednisolone in FSM-16 matrices. NMR peak shifts and broadening could be attributed to the molecular interaction between the A ring of prednisolone and FSM-16. Thermal properties of prednisolone were investigated after heat treatment of the evaporated samples. The results indicated that the thermal stability of the dispersion made from FSM-16 of large pore size was superior to that from FSM-16 of small pore size. Hydrocortisone was used to compare the dispersion state with prednisolone. It was suggested that the double bond at the C-1 and C-2 positions of prednisolone might play an important role in the process of adsorption of prednisolone to FSM-16.