Continuous-Flow Production of Liposomes with a Millireactor under Varying Fluidic Conditions

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Chemical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Microfluidic reactors offer advantages for continuous-flow liposome production over batch methods.
• Challenges in scaling microfluidics for industrial liposome production include low rates, limited lifetimes, and high costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate millimeter-scale flow reactors (millireactors) as a scalable and cost-effective route for nanoscale liposome production.
• To evaluate the impact of various parameters on liposome characteristics using millireactor technology.

Main Methods:

• Utilized millimeter-scale flow reactors with a serpentine architecture for liposome synthesis.
• Investigated effects of flow rates, lipid type/concentration, storage, and temperature on liposomes.
• Characterized liposomes using dynamic light scattering (DLS), z-potential, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Main Results:

• Liposome size and dispersity were significantly influenced by lipid type, concentration, and inlet flow settings.
• The millireactor produced liposomes with sizes ranging from 54 to 272 nm and dispersity from 0.04 to 0.52.
• Operating flow rates ranged from 1 to 10 mL/min.

Conclusions:

• Millireactor technology presents a viable, scalable, and cost-effective approach for producing nanoscale liposomes.
• Millifluidic reactors generated liposomes with improved size and dispersity compared to batch ethanol-injection methods.
• This technology holds promise for industrial-scale liposome manufacturing with enhanced therapeutic relevance.