Resonant Acoustic Mixing Method to Produce Lipid-Based Liquid-Crystal Nanoparticles

Production of large-scale batches is one of the bottlenecks in nanoscience translation, and there is a significant gap between academic and industrial production settings. There is a great need and urgency to develop methods that can easily and quickly scale up nanomaterial laboratory production processes at a large scale. In this study, we report for the first time a fast and easily scalable methodology for the fabrication of lipid-based liquid-crystal (LLC) nanoparticles. We have shown that large volume solutions of cubosomes, liposomes, and hexosomes can be produced (500 mL at 60 mg/mL lipid concentration) in a matter of minutes without the need for any cosolvents. Straightforward synthesis from 5 to 500 mL has been exemplified using resonant acoustic mixing to produce these LLC nanoparticles. The technique is amenable to various container types and may eliminate the need to use cosolvents for the production of such materials due to the excellent mixing potential. We have found that when compared to traditional sonication-based methods, the use of resonant acoustic mixing allows for large-scale synthesis of nanoparticle solutions and the formation of LLC nanoparticles of desirable sizes. We believe this new technique will facilitate the development of lyotropic mesophase materials and new methodologies for the fabrication of nanoparticles. The technique will have a significant impact in shaping the future of nanoscience, providing a rapid and efficient mixing/fabrication platform for a range of materials from cosmetics to therapeutics to vaccines.