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Controlled Synthesis and Drug Encapsulation of Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) Nanoparticles Using a Continuous Flow-Focusing Microfluidic Platform

Mubashar Saeed, Muhammad orcid logoORCID: 0000-0001-6273-9335, Tollemeto, Matteo, Thamdrup, Lasse H. E., Boisen, Anja, Carthy, Eadaoin orcid logoORCID: 0000-0001-6505-9503, Dunne, Nicholas orcid logoORCID: 0000-0003-4649-2410 and Kinahan, David J. orcid logoORCID: 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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[thumbnail of Manuscript File.pdf] PDF - Archive staff only. This file is embargoed until 6 February 2027 - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader
Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0
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[thumbnail of Supporting_Information.pdf] PDF - Archive staff only. This file is embargoed until 6 February 2027 - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader
Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0
224kB
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