Stanislaw Sosnowski

Poly(L,L-lactide) and poly(L,L-lactide-co-glycolide) microparticles by dialysis

Abstract Formation of poly(L,L-lactide) (PLLA) and poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microparticles by dialysis from 1,4-dioxane, tetrahydrofuran (THF), acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and dimethylformamide (DMF) against water has been investigated. In some instances microparticles were obtained from a mixture of the above-mentioned polyesters and PLLA-block-polyglycidol-blockpoly( ethylene oxide) triblock copolymer containing a hydrophobic PLLA block as well as hydrophilic polyglycidol and poly(ethylene oxide) blocks, the former with functional -OH groups. The effects of the nature of polyester, solvent and concentration of triblock copolymer on particles morphology, size, size distribution, and degree of crystallinity have been determined. Dialysis of PLGA yielded particles in the form of microspheres regardless of the solvent. Diameters of these particles were in the range of 0.36 - 1.77 μm and particles’ diameter polydispersity (Dw̅/Dn̅ ) varied from 1.37 to 2.04, depending on the solvent. In the case of PLLA, microspheres were obtained only by dialysis from 1,4-dioxane solutions. Dialysis of PLLA solutions in THF, acetonitrile and DMF yielded particles in the form of microcrystals. In the case of dialysis of PLLA solutions in DMSO, the product was in form of crystalline flakes of c. 1 μm thickness. Microspheres composed of PLGA were amorphous. The degree of crystallinity of microparticles from PLLA was in the range of 39% - 72%.