Biodegradable Janus Particles for Drug Delivery

Janus particles exhibit many unique chemical, optical, electrical, and physical properties due to their two chemically distinct surfaces. They are of interest for a wide range of applications ranging from electronics, to energy, catalysis and emulsion stabilization. Janus particles also hold great promise in the field of biomedical engineering as drug delivery vehicles, theranostic platforms, and components of biosensors. However, reliable synthesis methods are needed to produce biodegradable Janus micro- and nanoparticles on a commercial scale before they can realize their full potential in biomedicine. A novel technique based on the phase separation of binary combinations of biodegradable polymers and/or lipids in an oil-in-water emulsion is presented for the production of Janus particles. The method is applicable to both water-immiscible and partially water-miscible solvents. We study the effect of different formulation variables such as solvent, polymer, lipid, surfactant on Janus particle morphology. Due to the wide selection of biodegradable materials available, we also utilize Thermodynamic theory and computational techniques such as Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations and Monte Carlo simulations in order to elucidate the most favorable conditions for Janus particle formation. After comprehensive physiochemical characterization, Janus particles are applied to two different case studies to demonstrate the broader impact of the technology in drug delivery.

Figure 1: Scanning electron microscope and optical microscopy images of PLGA/PCL Janus particles.