eprintid: 1554652 rev_number: 24 eprint_status: archive userid: 608 dir: disk0/01/55/46/52 datestamp: 2017-09-29 12:15:45 lastmod: 2020-06-01 06:10:09 status_changed: 2017-09-29 12:15:45 type: thesis metadata_visibility: show creators_name: Topcu, AA title: Microfluidic-assisted encapsulation in biocompatible multi-polymeric particles ispublished: unpub divisions: UCL divisions: A01 divisions: B04 divisions: C05 keywords: Microfluidic, microfluidic encapsulation, drug delivery, controlled drug release, colloidal emulsion, quasicrystals abstract: Microfluidic-assisted fabrication of bidegradable, multicompartment polymeric carriers is investigated in this study by utilizing a facile self-assembly route. The structure for this PhD research involves two main sections. In the first part, microfluidic self-assembly route was used to generate polymeric quasicrystalline ternary arrays confirming the universality of quasicrystals. A novel K-junction microfluidic device (KJM) was utilized to generate N2-cored bubbles with colloidal emulsion on the shell that induce self-assembly of polymeric particle patterns upon bubble bursting and solvent evaporation. The polymeric quasicrystals comprising three biocompatible polymers generated in this way produced uniform particles consisting of hydrophilic/hydrophobic segments and were tagged with fluorescent dyes to confirm their multipolymeric structure. They display a radially decreasing particle size; the mechanism of self-assembly is explained by heterogeneous nucleation that culminates in heptagonal quasiperiodic polymer pattern formation. The ordered, non-periodic Archimedean tiling of the particles exhibited rare 7-fold symmetry and provide a generation route for stable soft matter quasicrystals. The second part focuses on model drug encapsulation in polymeric carriers. Monodisperse microbubbles were generated that release biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles (NP) from a thin bubble film during evaporation. PEG/PLGA NPs provide an excellent platform for delivery of multiple poorly water soluble drugs and were utilized for non-covalent encapsulation of an immiscible model drug combination of paracetamol (PAR) / ibuprofen (IBU). The particle generation mechanism indicates that colloidal emulsion on microbubble film produces NPs via nanoprecipitation ranging between 220 ± 48 nm and 393 ± 66 nm. PEG/PLGA nanoparticles encapsulating a dual combination of hydrophobic drugs (PAR/IBU) were prepared reproducibly via microfluidic mixing, with control over size, distribution and their subsequent release was shown to be extended. In vitro drug release studies demonstrate extended release, which can be tuned further by controlling experiment parameters, thereby offering potential utilization of versatile microfluidic-assisted method to develop potential combined therapies with controlled drug release behaviour. date: 2017-05-28 date_type: published oa_status: green full_text_type: other thesis_class: doctoral_open language: eng thesis_view: UCL_Thesis primo: open primo_central: open_green verified: verified_manual elements_id: 1291707 lyricists_name: Topcu, Ahmet lyricists_id: AATOP02 actors_name: Topcu, Ahmet actors_id: AATOP02 actors_role: owner full_text_status: public pages: 204 event_title: University College London institution: UCL (University College London) department: Mechanical engineering thesis_type: Doctoral editors_name: Edirisinghe, M editors_name: Orlu Gul, M citation: Topcu, AA; (2017) Microfluidic-assisted encapsulation in biocompatible multi-polymeric particles. Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London). Green open access document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1554652/1/Atopcu%20PhD%20Thesis%20final.pdf