Freeze-Drying as a Tool for Preparing Porous Materials: From Proof of Concept to Recent Pharmaceutical Applications

Freeze-drying (FD) is the most extensive drying technique in pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. It relies on three main steps: freezing, primary, and secondary drying, where the sample is frozen and then dried by ice sublimation. FD possesses several features, mainly its suitability for heat-sensitive materials and its ability to produce dry products with improved physicochemical characteristics. Although FD is a gentle drying process, it can cause numerous stresses that induce chemical and physical instabilities. Herein, the addition of suitable excipients along with optimizing the process parameters is critical in attaining lyophilizates with high-quality attributes. Besides, the freeze-drying method has been explored as a unique route to produce porous materials with different applications. This work aims to dismantle the basics of freeze-drying and its role in developing porous materials, mainly amorphous and co-amorphous solid-dispersions, orodispersible tablets and films, as well as porous dressings and 3D scaffolds for effective wound healing and tissue engineering, respectively. The challenges and limitations of lyophilization have also been addressed.