A microfluidic platform for the controlled synthesis of architecturally complex liquid crystalline nanoparticles
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Soft-matter nanoparticles are of great interest for their applications in biotechnology, therapeutic delivery, and in vivo imaging. Underpinning
this is their biocompatibility, potential for selective targeting, attractive pharmacokinetic properties, and amenability to downstream
functionalisation. Morphological diversity inherent to soft-matter particles can give rise to enhanced functionality. However, this diversity
remains untapped in clinical and industrial settings, and only the simplest of particle architectures (spherical lipid vesicles and lipid/polymer
nanoparticles (LNPs)) have been exploited. To address this, we have designed a scalable microfluidic hydrodynamic focusing (MHF)
technology for the controllable, rapid, and continuous production of lyotropic liquid crystalline (LLC) nanoparticles (both cubosomes and
hexosomes), colloidal dispersions of higher-order lipid assemblies with intricate internal structures of 3-D and 2-D symmetry. These particles
have been proposed as the next generation of soft-matter nano-carriers, with unique fusogenic and physical properties. Crucially, unlike
alternative approaches, our microfluidic method gives control over LLC size, a feature we go on to exploit in a fusogenic study with model
cell membranes, where a dependency on particle diameter is evident. We believe our platform has the potential to serve as a tool for future
studies involving non-lamellar soft nanoparticles, and anticipate it allowing for the rapid prototyping of LLC particles of diverse functionality,
paving the way toward their eventual uptake at an industrial level.
this is their biocompatibility, potential for selective targeting, attractive pharmacokinetic properties, and amenability to downstream
functionalisation. Morphological diversity inherent to soft-matter particles can give rise to enhanced functionality. However, this diversity
remains untapped in clinical and industrial settings, and only the simplest of particle architectures (spherical lipid vesicles and lipid/polymer
nanoparticles (LNPs)) have been exploited. To address this, we have designed a scalable microfluidic hydrodynamic focusing (MHF)
technology for the controllable, rapid, and continuous production of lyotropic liquid crystalline (LLC) nanoparticles (both cubosomes and
hexosomes), colloidal dispersions of higher-order lipid assemblies with intricate internal structures of 3-D and 2-D symmetry. These particles
have been proposed as the next generation of soft-matter nano-carriers, with unique fusogenic and physical properties. Crucially, unlike
alternative approaches, our microfluidic method gives control over LLC size, a feature we go on to exploit in a fusogenic study with model
cell membranes, where a dependency on particle diameter is evident. We believe our platform has the potential to serve as a tool for future
studies involving non-lamellar soft nanoparticles, and anticipate it allowing for the rapid prototyping of LLC particles of diverse functionality,
paving the way toward their eventual uptake at an industrial level.
Date Issued
2023-08-04
Date Acceptance
2023-07-21
Citation
Scientific Reports, 2023, 13, pp.1-14
ISSN
2045-2322
Publisher
Nature Portfolio
Start Page
1
End Page
14
Journal / Book Title
Scientific Reports
Volume
13
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2023. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-39205-3
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
12684
Date Publish Online
2023-08-04