Nuclear chemistry

Engineering

Nanoparticle

Materials science

Antiemetic

Chromatography

Surgery

Vomiting

Particle size

Chemical engineering

Anesthesia

Drug

Aprepitant

Supercritical fluid

Dissolution

Physical chemistry

Nanotechnology

Organic chemistry

Pharmacology

Medicine

Chemistry

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

The Journal of Supercritical Fluids

To improve dissolution properties of aprepitant (APR) as a poorly water-soluble drug, Rapid Expansion of Supercritical Solution with Solid Cosolvent (RESS-SC) was applied for the first time. Effects of four different parameters including temperature (308.2–338.2 K), pressure (15–33 MPa), spraying distance (1–10 cm) and nozzle diameter (150–450 μm) were investigated on the size and morphology of the precipitated nanoparticles. Also, equilibrium solubilities of APR in CO2 and menthol were measured at different temperatures between 308.2 and 338.2 K and pressures in the range of 12–33 MPa using a static method. To characterize unprocessed and processed APRs, FTIR, DLS, SEM, XRD, DSC and dissolution rate were employed. The analyses revealed a great reduction in the size of the nanoparticles by RESS-SC (23 ± 1.6 nm, on average), as compared to the original particles of APR (25.6 μm, on average). Finally, the dissolution rate was enhanced by 8.2 folds following the RESS-SC process.

Preparation of Aprepitant nanoparticles (efficient drug for coping with the effects of cancer treatment) by rapid expansion of supercritical solution with solid cosolvent (RESS-SC)