Cellulose nitrate membranes were embedded with two different commercially a
vailable liquid crystals and the transport of a model drug through the memb
ranes was examined spectrophotometrically. It was found that upon changing
the temperature of the system, membranes without liquid crystal showed no t
emperature dependent drug transport properties. Membranes embedded with liq
uid crystal however, showed a distinct temperature variation in the drug re
lease. It was found that the rate of drug transport was dependent on the am
ount of liquid crystal deposited on the membrane and by cycling the tempera
ture of the system, pulsatile drug release could be achieved.