The dissolution rate of nicotine
in aqueous solutions of sodium chloride (NaCl) was investigated at
room temperature and 70 °C by quantitatively visualizing the
shrinkage rate of microscopic nicotine droplets. Four different salt
concentrations were used: 15 wt % (3.0 M), 20 wt % (4.3 M), 25 wt
% (5.7 M), and the saturation NaCl concentration of 26 wt % (6.0 M).
These results, together with the Epstein–Plesset mathematical
model, provided estimates of nicotine’s diffusion coefficient
in the NaCl solutions. At room temperature, the dissolution rate of
nicotine and diffusion coefficients decreased with increasing NaCl
concentration, and below 15 wt %, the dissolution kinetics were too
fast to measure accurately via optical microscopy. At the higher temperature
of 70 °C, nicotine’s dissolution rate showed a decrease
for 15 and 20% NaCl. However, at near-saturation 25% NaCl, nicotine’s
dissolution rate did not exhibit significant change for the two temperatures,
and for 26%, dissolution was higher at 70 °C than at room temperature.