Synthesis of highly dispersed nanoscaled CoQ10 liposome by supercritical fluid

•Nanoscaled CoQ10 liposome was synthesized by RESS method without toxic solvent.•The trapping efficiency of CoQ10 liposome was up to 90%.•The CoQ10 liposome exhibited small diameter and narrow particle size distribution.•Pilot-scaled CoQ10 liposome could be theoretically achieved by RESS process.

The nanoscaled CoQ10 liposome were synthesized by Rapid Expansion of Supercritical Solutions (RESS). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to characterize the particle size of CoQ10 liposome, and the UV spectrum was employed to evaluate the product׳s trapping efficiency. A series of CoQ10 liposome samples were synthesized by RESS under different pressures. The trapping efficiency of the CoQ10 liposome was up to 90% when the enduring pressure was at 200–300 bar, but the trapping efficiency was distinctly decreased when the enduring pressure is lower than 200 bar or higher than 300 bar. The high resolution TEM images exhibited that the particle size of CoQ10 liposome was only 20–40 nm, probably because CO2 molecules act as the membranes between the CoQ10 liposome particles in this process, which prevent the agglomeration of liposome with each other.

Graphical abstractNanoscaled CoQ10 liposome prepared by Rapid Expansion of Supercritical Solutions exhibited high trapping efficiency, small liposome diameter and narrow particle size distribution Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide