Effect of pH on the micellar properties of amphiphilic drugs in aqueous solution

The influence of pH on the micellar properties of several amphiphilic drugs under conditions of constant ionic strength has been investigated. No significant effect of pH on the critical micelle concentration or micellar size of chlorpromazine hydrochloride was noted over a pH range well below the pKa. The micellar properties of opipramol, thiopropazate, flupenthixol, clopenthixol, and trifluoperazine, which contain a piperazine moiety showed considerable pH dependence. The concentration dependence of the pKa in these micellar systems was taken into consideration in the selection of pH values representative of complete protonation of either one or both of the piperazine N atoms. A lower aggregation number and higher critical micelle concentration was observed at a low pH corresponding to complete protonation of both charge centres. Mepyramine maleate exhibited a non-micellar mode of association at pH 5.5 which could be described by a stepwise association model in which association constants, KN, increased sequentially with aggregation number. N, according to the relationship, KN = K(N - 1)/N where K = 31.3 dm3mol-1. No significant association could be detected at pH 2 when the pyridine ring N was fully protonated.