Supercritical extraction of emulsion in microfluidic slug-flow for production of nanoparticle suspension in aqueous solution

Pharmaceutical Applications of Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Emulsions for Micro-/Nanoparticle Formation

Micro-/nanoparticle formulations containing drugs with or without various biocompatible excipients are widely used in the pharmaceutical field to improve the physicochemical and clinical properties of the final drug product. Among the various micro-/nanoparticle production technologies, emulsion-based particle formation is the most widely used because of its unique advantages such as uniform generation of spherical small particles and higher encapsulation efficiency (EE). For this emulsion-based micro-/nanoparticle technology, one of the most important factors is the extraction efficiency associated with the fast removal of the organic solvent. In consideration of this, a technology called supercritical fluid extraction of emulsions (SFEE) that uses the unique mass transfer mechanism and solvent power of a supercritical fluid (SCF) has been proposed to overcome the shortcomings of several conventional technologies such as solvent evaporation, extraction, and spray drying. This review article presents the main aspects of SFEE technology for the preparation of micro-/nanoparticles by focusing on its pharmaceutical applications, which have been organized and classified according to several types of drug delivery systems and active pharmaceutical ingredients. It was definitely confirmed that SFEE can be applied in a variety of drugs from water-soluble to poorly water-soluble. In addition, it has advantages such as low organic solvent residual, high EE, desirable release control, better particle size control, and agglomeration prevention through efficient and fast solvent removal compared to conventional micro-/nanoparticle technologies. Therefore, this review will be a good resource for determining the applicability of SFEE to obtain better pharmaceutical quality when researchers in related fields want to select a suitable manufacturing process for preparing desired micro-/nanoparticle drug delivery systems containing their active material.

CO2-Activated Adsorption: A New Approach to Dye Removal by Chitosan Hydrogel

This study focuses on development of a new adsorption technique by CO2-activated chitosan. Carbon dioxide was utilized to form the functional chemical groups of chitosan on the adsorptions of anionic dyes, Brilliant Blue FCF and Congo Red, in the aqueous solution. CO2-activated chitosan results in the dye adsorption significantly faster than that of chitosan in pure water. The adsorption capacities and removal efficiencies of the dye are increased by CO2-activated chitosan. Furthermore, the dye adsorptions on CO2-activated chitosan were investigated at various temperatures and initial dye concentrations in the aqueous solution. Interestingly, the high temperature adsorption provides the enhancement of adsorption capacities and removal efficiencies of the dye by the carbamate cross-linking of chitosan with CO2. CO2-activated chitosan was further characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra, amino group ratio, zeta potential, and thermal gravimetric analysis. These characterizations can be used for understanding the unique adsorption of the dye on CO2-activated chitosan. Carbon dioxide-activated chitosan in this work will provide an effective operation and a clean process of dye adsorption in wastewater treatment.