Scale-up of polyamide and polyester Parsol® MCX nanocapsules by interfacial polycondensation and solvent diffusion...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Scaling up nanocapsule production is crucial for industrial applications.
• Interfacial polycondensation and solvent diffusion are common methods for nanocapsule synthesis.
• Controlling nanoparticle size without altering formulation remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To achieve scale-up of oil-containing nanocapsules using interfacial polycondensation and solvent diffusion.
• To investigate the influence of process parameters on nanocapsule size.
• To establish a predictive model for nanocapsule size control.

Main Methods:

• Simultaneous interfacial polycondensation and solvent diffusion.
• Utilized a Y-shaped mixer for scale-up up to 1,500 mL.
• Varied process parameters (e.g., Reynolds number) to control nanocapsule size.

Main Results:

• Successful production of up to 1,500 mL of nanocapsules.
• Nanocapsule size (646–211 nm) was modulated by process parameters without formulation changes.
• A power-law relationship between nanocapsule diameter and Reynolds number was identified.
• High turbulence was identified as key for size control.
• Encapsulation efficiency exceeded 98% at both lab and pilot scales.
• In vitro release of active ingredients was reproducible at pilot scale.

Conclusions:

• Scale-up of nanocapsule production via interfacial polycondensation and solvent diffusion is feasible.
• Nanoparticle size can be precisely controlled through process parameters, particularly turbulence.
• A power-law model enables prediction of nanocapsule size for various formulations.
• The developed method ensures high encapsulation efficiency and reproducible release profiles at scale.