Title:Electrohydrodynamic Preparation of Nanomedicines
VOLUME: 15 ISSUE: 22
Author(s):M. Rasekh, A. Smith, M.S. Arshad, O. Gunduz, S.M. Van der Merwe, G. Smith and Z. Ahmad
Affiliation:School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH, UK.
Keywords:Electrohydrodynamic, Electrospin, Electrospray, Fibers, Nanomedicines, Particles.
Abstract:The preparation of nanomedicines can be achived using a host of methods ranging from
wet-chemical approaches to more engineering related techniques. As a maturing branch of
nanotechnology, nanomedcines are being tailored to serve multiple pharmaceutic and biomedical
related funcitons (e.g. targeted delivery, imaging, healing, sensing) which may require the utilisaiton
of one or more actives or excipients. In some instances, handling of materials (such as sensitive
biomolecules or active pharmaceutical ingredient) becomes a limiting factor along with issues related to fabrication steps
(loss or degradation of active components and functional materials), deposition location & procedure (removal of formed
structures), process environment sensitivity and scale-up potential. This short review focuses on the electrohydrodynamic
preparation of emerging nanomedicines that have potential to serve as therapeutic platforms. An insight into the
underpinning process (jet-formation), related paramerts (material and process) and strucutral outcomes (particles and
fibres) is given in relation to highlighted research. The ambient temperature processing, user friendly preparation and
present industrial scale up potential (now in kg/hr) make such processes valuable in the preparation of future nano-scaled
and sensitive dosage forms.
