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Macroporous Mannitol Granules Produced by Spray Drying and Sacrificial Templating
Morgane Valentin1, Damien Coibion1, Bénédicte Vertruyen1
1GREEnMat, CESAM Research Unit, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|January 8, 2023
Summary
Researchers created porous mannitol particles for improved drug delivery using spray drying with sacrificial polystyrene beads. This method enhances porosity and influences mannitol
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Porous organic particles enhance drug delivery efficiency, particularly for pulmonary applications.
- Developing methods for controlled porosity in pharmaceutical excipients is crucial for optimizing drug formulations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the successful preparation of macroporous spherical mannitol granules.
- To investigate the use of sacrificial polystyrene (PS) beads as templating agents in spray drying.
- To analyze the effect of mannitol/PS ratio and spray dryer scale on granule characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a spray-drying technique with sacrificial polystyrene beads (~340 nm diameter) as templates.
- Employed ethyl acetate, an FDA-approved solvent, for the dissolution and removal of PS beads.
- Characterized the porous structure using infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetry analysis.
- Evaluated granule size and porosity distribution across different mannitol/PS ratios and scales (lab vs. pilot).
Main Results:
- Successfully produced macroporous spherical mannitol granules using spray drying and PS templating.
- Demonstrated effective removal of PS beads, confirmed by spectroscopy and thermogravimetry.
- Observed similar granule sizes (~1-3 microns) but varied porosity with different mannitol/PS ratios (10:1 to 1:2) at lab scale.
- Pilot-scale spray drying showed different granule size and porosity distributions based on atomization method (two-fluid vs. rotary nozzle) for a 1:1 ratio.
- The presence of PS beads promoted the formation of the alpha mannitol polymorph.
- A slight decrease in mannitol decomposition temperature was noted in the presence of PS beads.
Conclusions:
- Spray drying with sacrificial PS beads is an effective method for creating macroporous mannitol granules.
- The process allows for control over porosity and influences mannitol's crystalline form and thermal stability.
- Findings are relevant for optimizing inhalable drug delivery systems and pharmaceutical formulations.
