Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.53, No.7, 2726-2731, 2014
Production of Naproxen Nanoparticle Colloidal Suspensions for Inkjet Printing Applications
Nanoparticulate drugs show promise for a variety of reasons, including novel targeted delivery mechanisms, enhanced in vitro diagnostics, and increased bioavailability. However, there are often practical limitations to using nanoparticles, such as nanoparticle agglomeration and processing. Inkjet printing provides a viable method to produce nanocomposites from nanoparticles. A simple technique for producing and processing naproxen nanoparticle colloids for use in inkjet printing is presented in this report. Naproxen nanoparticles predominantly 50 nm in diameter and coated in polyvinylpyrrolidone were produced using a supercritical solution-based method, the rapid expansion of a supercritical solution into a liquid solvent (RESOLV) process. The viscosity and surface tension of the RESOLV suspensions were then modified to 10.6 cSt and 34.2 mN/m, respectively, to demonstrate the feasibility of turning the RESOLV suspension into a printable ink. The results suggest that combining the RESOLV and inkjet platforms can overcome the processing and agglomeration issues often associated with producing true nanocomposites.