Electrospray of core–shell micro drug carriers with various experimental and material parameters

The inhalation of pharmaceutic has been proven efficient and non-invasive compared to administrations via injection for various respiratory diseases. The manufacturing of microscale drug carriers with an ideal median mass aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 1–5 µm and sustained release profile has been challenging for decades. Current electrospray strategies adopted for drug carrier fabrication lacks control on particle morphology and size distribution. In this paper, we adopted a core–shell electrospray strategy with water-soluble cores for nanodrug encapsulation and sustained drug release from the surface nanoporous microcarriers. The results showed that both experimental parameters including voltage, tip-to-ground distance, flow rate and material properties including solution viscosity and surface tension have significant effects on microparticle morphology and size. This study presents an optimized experimental design and solution composition towards the manufacturing of desirable and controllable drug carriers.