The Influence of the Co-Dopant Dexamethasone Phosphate on the Electrodeposition Process and Drug-Release Properties of Polypyrrole-Salicylate on Iron.

In this work, the influence of incorporation of two anti-inflammatory drugs dexamethasone phosphate and sodium salicylate on the electrodeposition process of polypyrrole (PPy) film on iron has been studied. The incorporation of the agents into PPy has been carried out in a one-step electropolymerization process on oxidizable iron. The role of each drug agent during the deposition process has been discussed. The morphological and redox properties of as-deposited PPy doped with salicylate only or with addition of differently concentrated dexamethasone phosphate have been examined. Moreover, a spontaneous (in literature called: self-powered) drug-release study of PPy on iron was investigated in a phosphate buffer saline solution at the body temperature by the UV-Vis spectrophotometry with the flow cell. The study showed that the addition of high molecular weight co-dopant into PPy influenced much the growth mechanism and final properties of the material. It had also a big impact on the drug release profile compared to a polymer doped only with one agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]