Evaluation of correlation between dissolution rates of loxoprofen tablets and their surface morphology observed by scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope.

We observed the surface morphological structures of 60 mg tablets of Loxonin, Loxot, and Lobu using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) to evaluate the dissolution rates. We found a significant difference among the initial dissolution rates of the three kinds of loxoprofen sodium tablets. Petal forms of different sizes were commonly observed on the surface of the Loxonin and Loxot tablets in which loxoprofen sodium was confirmed by measuring the energy-dispersible X-ray (EDX) spectrum of NaKalpha using SEM. However, a petal form was not observed on the surface of the Lobu tablet, indicating differences among the drug production processes. Surface area and particle size of the principal ingredient in tablets are important factors for dissolution rate. The mean size of the smallest fine particles constituting each tablet was also determined with AFM. There was a correlation between the initial dissolution rate and the mean size of the smallest particles in each tablet. Visualizing tablet surface morphology using SEM and AFM provides information on the drug production processes and initial dissolution rate, and is associated with the time course of pharmacological activities after tablet administration.

A method to determine long-range order parameters from electron diffraction intensities detected by a CCD camera.

To determine long-range order parameters from electron diffraction intensities, the authors have developed a CCD camera system to detect precisely electron diffraction intensities, a method for quickly and precisely measuring specimen thickness, and a computer programming to calculate long-range order parameters from the ratio of superlattice and fundamental diffraction intensities. Thickness variation over a diffraction area is taken into consideration in the calculation of electron diffraction intensities on the basis of the multi-slice method, and long-range order parameters are calculated by the successive approximation method. The absorptive form factors are also calculated from experimental data of diffraction intensities by parameter fitting, and the effect of absorption on the calculation of long-range order parameters is examined. The values of Cu(3)Au alloys aged at 523 and 653 K that were obtained by averaging long-range order parameters determined for several diffraction areas with the developed method are close to the reported data obtained by the X-ray diffraction method. The main causes for the deviation of long-range order parameters determined for several diffraction areas are also discussed.