Nano Powder

This theme focuses on the particle engineering techniques and formulation parameters necessary to develop inhalable dry powders composed of nanoparticles optimized for pulmonary and nasal drug delivery. It is crucial because respiratory delivery offers advantages like rapid onset, targeted therapy, and non-invasive administration, yet faces challenges such as mucociliary clearance and immune defenses. Research integrates understanding of aerodynamic particle size, surface chemistry, and drug release profiles for enhanced therapeutic outcomes.

This research area investigates the formation of permanent (hard) agglomerates in dry nanopowders during synthesis and processing, which impair redispersion, reduce surface area, and diminish functional performance across applications. Understanding the drying-induced sintering and interparticle neck formation is essential for improving powder stability and usability. The work further explores mathematical modeling of agglomeration propensity and approaches to prevent or reverse agglomeration, thereby enhancing nanopowder performance in fields like environmental remediation and biomedical applications.

VSSA, determined via specific surface area and skeletal density measurements, emerges as a promising, accessible metric to classify materials as nanomaterials under regulatory definitions (e.g., the European Commission). This research stream focuses on evaluating VSSA's reliability compared to direct microscopy techniques, its application to powder mixes of different compositions and morphologies, and development of measurement protocols that overcome challenges in nanopowder characterization across industrial and regulatory contexts.