A Polymer-Drug Complex-Supported Lipid Nanoparticulate Synthesized via Emulsion Solvent Evaporation

Within the quickly advancing field of nanotechnology, several methods of nanoparticulate synthesis have been developed. One common technique, emulsion evaporation, involves the synthesis of a vesicular structure by the hydrophobic surface tension change between heterogeneous phases. However, emulsion evaporation often results in severe aggregation among nanoparticles and restricted polymeric compositions. Here, we demonstrate a new, core–shell nanoparticulate composed of three different components: an outer lipid membrane, a polymeric interfacial layer, and a drug-loading aqueous core. This novel nanoparticulate is synthesized by a new, double emulsion synthetic protocol that overcomes the weaknesses of the conventional emulsion method. The physicochemical properties of nanoparticulates can be varied; for instance, we replaced the outer membrane compartments with several lipid molecules such as DOPC/DOPG, DOPC/DOTAP and DOPC/DOPE/Cholesterol. In addition, the interfacial polymeric layer can be modified by adding either hydrophobic PLGAs or hydrophilic nucleic acids with higher biocompatibility. A variety of surface functionalization can also be achieved via maleimide conjugate chemistry, including several unique characteristics such as surface multifunctionality and sustained drug (e.g., ovalbumin) release. We believe that such versatile nanoparticulates are promising in vivo carriers for medications against several infectious diseases.