Nanoscale features of hydrophilic electrospun fibers

The solubility and bioavailability of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are closely tied to their physical form, with over 75% of emerging APIs facing low aqueous solubility, hindering clinical application. Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) offer a promising solution by dispersing APIs in water-miscible polymer carriers, enhancing solubility and dissolution rates. However, ASDs often exhibit storage stability challenges, as they require concentrations above the solubility limit, making them thermodynamically unstable and prone to recrystallization. Electrospinning is an effective technique for producing high-surface-area ASD fibers, which could improve therapeutic delivery, yet the crystallization pathways remains from these systems poorly understood. We intend to probe the nanostructure of drug domains within electrospun fibres using Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS), overcoming limitations of X-ray diffraction in detecting small crystallites. Initial SANS experiments have focused on hydrophobic polymers like poly(caprolactone) and poly(lactide-co-glycolide) with poorly soluble drugs, but exploring hydrophilic materials is essential for rapid drug release in applications like orally-dispersible medicines. This SANS proposal will thus probe nanoscale features of these hydrophilic electrospun ASDs.