Fabrication of Crosslinked Dextran Microspheres: Screening of Effective Parameters by Plackett-Burman Design-of-Experiments

Preparation of crosslinked dextran microspheres (CDMs) via crosslinking of the polymer dissolved in internal phase of an inverse emulsion system (W/O) using epichlorohydrin (ECH) was the first objective of this study. Making the fabrication process controllable to obtain microspheres of tunable properties e.g., mean particle size and its distribution was the second objective. A Plackett-Burman screening design methodology was employed to investigate the effects of four kinetics parameters and four process parameters on the final properties of the resulting microspheres including mean particle size and size distribution, equilibrium swelling ratio and specific surface area. Statistical analysis of the results allowed determining of the most influent factors. Considering the results, dextran concentration was found as the most influential kinetics parameter on the particle size and equilibrium swelling ratio of the obtained CDMs so an increase in the polymer concentration in the aqueous phase leads to a significant increase in the mean particle diameter and decreasing in water uptake capacity of the resulting microspheres.