Mubashar Saeed, Muhammad
ORCID: 0000-0001-6273-9335, Tollemeto, Matteo, Thamdrup, Lasse H. E., Boisen, Anja, Carthy, Eadaoin
ORCID: 0000-0001-6505-9503, Dunne, Nicholas
ORCID: 0000-0003-4649-2410 and Kinahan, David J.
ORCID: 0000-0003-1968-2016
(2026)
Controlled Synthesis and Drug Encapsulation of Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) Nanoparticles Using a Continuous Flow-Focusing Microfluidic Platform.
ACS Applied Nano Materials, 9
(7).
pp. 3115-3126.
ISSN 2574-0970
Abstract
Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles are widely studied for drug delivery due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and tuneable release characteristics. However, conventional synthesis methods often suffer from limited scalability and poor control over physicochemical
properties. In this study, a hydrodynamic flow focusing microfluidic platform was applied to synthesise PLGA NPs via nanoprecipitation, enabling precise modulation of formulation parameters. The effects
of flow rate ratio (FRR), PLGA concentration, and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) surfactant concentration on NP size, polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential were systematically evaluated. Mixing time
calculations under varying FRR indicated that lower FRRs promoted faster interfacial mixing; resulting in smaller, more uniform particles. Increasing PLGA concentration produced larger NPs due to
viscosity-driven diffusion limitations, while optimising PVA concentration improved mixing efficiency and particle stabilisation, minimising particle size and PDI. Both hydrophilic (rhodamine B) and hydrophobic (curcumin) compounds were successfully encapsulated, confirming the platform’s versatility. This microfluidic approach offers a scalable and reproducible approach for fabricating highquality PLGA NPs; thus supporting their application in targeted and controlled drug delivery.
Metadata
| Item Type: | Article (Published) |
|---|---|
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Microfluidics, PLGA Nanoparticles, Drug Encapsulation, Hydrodynamic flow focusing, Nanoparticles synthesis |
| Subjects: | Engineering > Biomedical engineering |
| DCU Faculties and Centres: | DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Engineering and Computing DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Engineering and Computing > School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering |
| Publisher: | American Chemical Society |
| Official URL: | https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsanm.5c04880 |
| Copyright Information: | Authors |
| ID Code: | 32295 |
| Deposited On: | 20 Feb 2026 11:38 by Gordon Kennedy . Last Modified 20 Feb 2026 11:38 |
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