Porous Hollow Fiber Membrane-Based Continuous Technique of Polymer Coating on Submicron and Nanoparticles via Antisolvent Crystallization

Abstract

This paper introduces a facile antisolvent crystallization technique to continuously coat submicron and nanosized particles with a thin polymer layer using a porous hollow fiber membrane device. Submicron (550 nm) and nanosized (12 nm) silica particles were the host particles; Eudragit RL 100 and poly(lactide-co-glycolide) were the coating polymers. A suspension of the particles in an acetone solution of the polymer was continuously pumped through the shell-side of a hollow fiber membrane module. The antisolvent (water) flowing in the hollow fiber lumen was forced through the membrane pores into the shell-side liquid, generating intense mixing with the flowing suspension and rapid precipitation of the polymer, coating the particles. Coated silica particles collected in a vacuum filtration device were analyzed after vacuum drying using scanning electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry, laser diffraction spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Thes...