Facile spray-drying assembly of uniform microencapsulates with tunable core-shell structures and controlled release...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Drug Delivery

Background:

• Core-shell microencapsulates offer tunable functionalities for controlled release and encapsulation.
• Existing methods for producing these particles can be complex and may involve organic solvents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient, scalable, and solvent-free method for producing uniform core-shell microencapsulates.
• To investigate the controlled release properties of these microencapsulates based on their architecture.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a single-step spray-drying assembly with Eudragit RS as the shell and silica as the core.
• Employed evaporation-induced self-assembly for phase separation and core-shell formation.
• Used a microfluidic jet spray dryer for precise control over particle uniformity and shell thickness.

Main Results:

• Successfully formed uniform silica-core/Eudragit RS-shell microparticles without organic solvents.
• Demonstrated direct control over shell thickness by adjusting precursor ingredient ratios.
• Investigated controlled release of rhodamine B, showing significant dependence on microencapsulate architecture.

Conclusions:

• The developed spray-drying method provides an efficient and scalable route to core-shell microencapsulates.
• The particle architecture significantly influences controlled release behavior, offering potential for tailored drug delivery systems.