Continuous-flow production of polymeric micelles in microreactors: experimental and computational analysis

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Polymeric micelles (PMs) are crucial in drug delivery systems.
• Current production methods can lack control over size and homogeneity.
• Continuous-flow microfluidics offers potential for improved PM synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a microfluidic-based process for continuous-flow production of polymeric micelles.
• To investigate the influence of process parameters on PM characteristics.
• To analyze the hydrodynamics governing PM formation in microreactors.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a flow-focusing microfluidic configuration for rapid mixing and nanoprecipitation.
• Employed Pluronic® tri-block copolymer as a model biomaterial.
• Experimentally varied polymer concentration, flow rate ratio, and microreactor dimensions.
• Analyzed mixing dynamics using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated controllable and fast mixing essential for PM formation.
• Identified polymer concentration, flow rate ratio, and microreactor dimensions as key factors influencing PM size.
• Computational modeling elucidated the hydrodynamic effects on PM formation.
• Highlighted the significant role of the chemical environment in PM aggregation and size determination.

Conclusions:

• Microfluidic reactors enable continuous-flow production of polymeric micelles with superior control.
• The developed process yields PMs with improved reproducibility and size homogeneity.
• This platform is promising for scalable and precise synthesis of drug delivery vehicles.