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Flash NanoPrecipitation for the Encapsulation of Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Compounds in Polymeric Nanoparticles
Published on: January 7, 2019
Novel method for concentrating and drying polymeric nanoparticles: hydrogen bonding coacervate precipitation
Suzanne M D'Addio1, Concepcion Kafka, Mustafa Akbulut
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, and Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, California 91320, USA.
Molecular Pharmaceutics
|February 24, 2010
Summary
A new hydrogen bonding coacervate precipitation process effectively concentrates and dries poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-stabilized nanoparticles. This method preserves nanoparticle size, offering a superior alternative to conventional drying techniques for therapeutic applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Nanoparticles enhance drug bioavailability and efficacy.
- Maintaining nanoparticle size during drying is a significant challenge.
- Current drying methods can lead to particle aggregation and size increase.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel method for concentrating and drying poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-stabilized nanoparticles.
- To investigate a pH-sensitive hydrogen bonding interaction for nanoparticle processing.
- To compare the efficacy of the new method with existing drying techniques.
Main Methods:
- Utilized hydrogen bonding coacervate precipitation (HBCP) using PEG-stabilized nanoparticles and polyacids.
- Aggregated nanoparticles into a filterable precipitate via pH-sensitive hydrogen bonding.
- Neutralized the precipitate to redisperse nanoparticles, assessing size recovery.
- Compared HBCP with freeze-drying, spray freeze-drying, and conventional drying.
Main Results:
- HBCP enabled rapid aggregation and filtration of PEG-stabilized nanoparticles.
- Upon neutralization, nanoparticles redispersed to within 10-45% of their original size depending on the polyacid used.
- HBCP outperformed freeze-drying, spray freeze-drying, and conventional drying in preserving nanoparticle size.
- Freeze-drying with sucrose showed size increases from 6% to 350% based on sucrose concentration.
Conclusions:
- The hydrogen bonding coacervate precipitation (HBCP) process is an effective method for concentrating and drying nanoparticle dispersions.
- HBCP successfully maintains nanoparticle integrity, offering a significant advantage over conventional drying methods.
- This technique provides a promising route for producing stable, redispersible nanoparticle powders for therapeutic use.
