New insights into the pore structure of poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres

The objective of this work was to develop a fast and significant method for the determination of the intraparticulate pore size distribution of microspheres. Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres prepared with a solvent extraction/evaporation process were studied. From the envelope and the skeletal volume of the microspheres the porosity was calculated. The skeletal volume was determined with nitrogen and helium pycnometry and mercury intrusion porosimetry. Based on single particle optical sensing (SPOS) a novel method was developed by which the envelope volume is calculated from the particle size distribution (PSD), provided that all particles have a spherical shape. The penetration capacity of the applied intrusion media is limited by their atomic or molecular diameter or by the surface tension and the pressure in case of mercury. A classification of the pore structure was obtained by comparing these different skeletal values with the values for the envelope volume. Two well separated pore fractions were found, a nanoporous fraction smaller than 0.36 nm and a macroporous fraction larger than 3.9 μm. The total porosity and the ratio between both fractions is controlled by the preparation process and was shown to depend on the solvent extraction temperature.

Graphical abstractThis new analytical method provides the possibility to uncover structural properties even in the submicroscopic scale thus gaining deeper insight into the application-specific functionalities of microparticles.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide