Tailoring Particle Microstructures via Supercritical CO₂ Processes for Particular Drug Delivery

Abstract

Strategies for a particular drug delivery are always of great interest for the pharmaceutical industry, and efficient methods of preparing products with controlled particle microstructures are fundamental for the development and application of drug delivery. Supercritical fluid particle design (SCF PD) processes, as a green and effective alternative to traditional methods, have been effectively employed to produce particles with designated microstructures.Combining with research experiences in our research group, this review aims to provide a theoretical framework of SCF PD for particular drug delivery. For any drug delivery formulations, macroscopic properties are directly influenced by the particle microstructures, "Inverse" strategies are introduced at first to obtain the needed particle microstructures for a particular drug delivery in this paper. Then, how to produce particles with designated microstructures via SCF PD processes is discussed, mainly focus on the screening and selection of operating parameters according to thermodynamics and fluid dynamics study. Recent examples of SCF micronization and co-precipitation/ encapsulation processes are also summarized with an emphasis on how to tailor the particle microstructures by controlling the operating parameters.Finally, challenges and issues needed further study are briefly suggested for SCD PD.

Zein-based nanoparticles: Preparation, characterization, and pharmaceutical application

“…ScCO 2 as anti-solvent offers the advantages of mild operating temperature, being environmentally benign, less or solvent-free product. But the influence mechanism of operating parameters on the nanostructures and properties of obtained particles is complicated, involving the mutual interaction of fluid dynamics, phase equilibria and mass transport, and their influence on nucleation and growth mechanisms ( Liu et al, 2013 ; Liu et al, 2015 ; Liu et al, 2021b ). Thus, the preparation of zein NPs by SAS method needs further research.…”