Preferential Solvation of Acetaminophen in Propylene Glycol + Water Co-Solvent Mixtures

Abstract

The preferential solvation parameters defined as the differences between the local mole fraction of solvents around analgesic drug acetaminophen and those for the bulk co-solvent composition in propylene glycol + water mixtures were derived from their thermodynamic properties by means of the inverse Kirkwood-Buff integrals (IKBI) and the quasi-lattice-quasi-chemical (QLQC) methods. It is found that acetaminophen is sensitive to solvation effects, so according to IKBI method the preferential solvation parameter δ´xPG,A, is negative in water-rich mixtures but positive in medium compositions and in co-solvent-rich mixtures. It is conjecturable that in water-rich mixtures the hydrophobic hydration around the aromatic ring and methyl group present in the drug plays a relevant role in the solvation. The bigger drug solvation by co-solvent in mixtures of similar solvent proportions and in propylene glycol-rich mixtures could be due mainly to polarity effects. Otherwise, according to QLQC method, this drug is preferentially solvated by the co-solvent in all the mixtures.