This document discusses various techniques used to characterize drug nanocarriers, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), zeta potential, microscopy methods, and porosimetry. These techniques are used to determine properties like particle size, shape, crystallinity, surface charge, and pore structure. Nanocarriers offer advantages over traditional drug delivery like improved stability and ability to deliver both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs. Their characterization is important to understand properties affecting pharmacokinetics and drug release.

1. Physicochemical
characterization of drug
nanocarriers
Aishwarya Konka
M.Sc Biotechnology part 2

2. Nanocarriers
 A nanoparticle is defined
as a particle of matter that
is between 1 and 100
nanometres in diameter.
 Recent years have seen increasing research interest in
the development of new drug delivery systems that are
based on nanoparticles.
 Compared to conventional drug delivery systems, the
use of nanoparticles for drug delivery offers advantages,
including high stability, specificity in relation to the
target, and the capacity to deliver both hydrophilic and
hydrophobic drug molecules.

3. Methods
 X-ray diffraction (XRD)
 Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS)
 Zeta potential
 Polarized light microscopy
 Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
 Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
 Porosimetry.

4. X-ray Diffraction
 XRD can be used to identify the type of crystalline phase,
crystallinity degree and orientation, chemical nature of the
compound and size of the crystallites.
 Sharp and broad diffraction peaks are observed for
crystalline and amorphous materials, respectively.
Small-angle X-ray scattering
 SAXS is used for the assessment of shape and size and
also can be used to explore the spatial distribution of
particles in a medium, giving details about their
interactions and average correlation distance.
Porosimetry
 Porosimetry is a useful technique for the characterization
of porous materials, providing a wide range of information
including the pore size, pore volume, and surface area of a
sample.

5. Zeta potential
 Zeta potential is the
measurement of the
electrostatic potential at
the electrical double
layer surrounding a
nanoparticle in the
solution.
 Nanoparticles with zeta
potential between -30 to
+30 mV are considered
neutral, while greater
than +30 mV and less
than -30 mV are
considered as strongly
cationic and strongly
anionic respectively.

6. Drug delivery system
 Nanoparticles carries the drug inside its core.
 The nanoparticle shell interacts with the cell membrane.
 The nanoparticle is ingested inside the cell and interacts
with biomolecules.
 The nanoparticle breaks and then pharmaceutical agent
is released.

7. Conclusion
 Nanomaterials have considerable potential for use in
pharmaceutical and biomedical applications, due to their
novel chemical and physical characteristics.
 The different methods are commonly used to
characterize nanocarriers, and outlines their essential
physicochemical properties.
 The appropriate combinations of these techniques can
provide the information required to understand their
pharmacokinetics and drug-release profiles, and can also
lead to new ideas for the improvement of drug delivery
systems.

8. THANK YOU