Research - Innovative Research in Crystal Engineering

Our expertise lies in developing antisolvent crystallization techniques for the production of ultrafine drug particles. This process is essential for enhancing the solubility and bioavailability of challenging pharmaceutical compounds.

Light grayish-brown crystals of quartz or other quartz-like material, isolated on a white background. Crystals on white background for website, social media and photoshop

Antisolvent Crystallization

We specialize in the synthesis of microbubbles designed for biomedical applications such as contrast imaging and targeted drug delivery. Our innovative techniques ensure optimal performance and safety in medical settings.

Microbubble Engineering

Motivation:As the temperature dissolved oxygen oxygen decreases increases, in water. Plants require a minimum of 7.7 mg/l (at 30 °C) of DO (dissolved oxygen) in water to grow without stress.

Development of polymer composites-based chambers

Create interfaces with higher adhesion and low roughnessMotivation:<ul><li>Enabling fine features</li><li>﻿﻿Enabling thinner dielectric and conducting layers</li><li>﻿﻿Reduced transmission losses</li><li>﻿﻿Reduced metal migration</li></ul>Lower CostImproved reliabilityIncreased performance

Polymers and Interfaces in Electronic Packaging

Controlled morphologies via phase-separation in epoxy blends for

Erecting visual hydrographic signal. Operations of ESSA Ship PATTON. 

Growing chambers in agritech

Research & Projects

I had the pleasure of collaborating with this laboratory on a cocrystallization project. Their expertise and dedication to enhancing drug solubility are impressive.

The research on liquid marbles was fascinating and provided new ideas for my own experiments. A great resource for anyone in the field!

The team’s work on antisolvent crystallization has opened new pathways for my project. Their approach is thorough and innovative.

Arora D, Sobieski D N, Seneviratne D, Andideh E, Meyer J C (2018) Formation of dielectric with smooth surface US Patent number: 10,070,537 (Granted).

Shen C J, Gurumurthy C K, Seneviratne D, Shankar R, Jin L, Arora D (2017) Panel with releasable core US Patent number: 9,554, 468 (Granted).

Seneviratne D, Shen C J, Jin L, Arora D, Raghunathan V (2016) Embedded architecture using resin coated copper US Patent number: 9,451,696 (Granted).

PATENTS

**Business Name:** Colloids and Crystal Engineering Laboratory, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar

**Location:** Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar

**Key Services Provided:**
1. Engineering microbubbles for biomedical applications
2. Cocrystallization to enhance aqueous solubility of poorly water-soluble drugs
3. Drug polymorphism studies
4. Antisolvent crystallization of poorly water-soluble drugs
5. Research on liquid marbles for biological/chemical processes

**Key Points:**
- Focus on synthesis of microbubbles for applications like contrast imaging and drug delivery.
- Research into cocrystallization methods to improve drug bioavailability.
- Study of polymorphism in drug development to control solid crystalline phases.
- Development of liquid antisolvent precipitation techniques for producing ultrafine drug particles.
- Exploration of liquid marbles as microreactors and gas sensors.

**Business Hours:** Not specified in the provided text.

**Customer Reviews:** No specific customer reviews or author details were included in the provided text.

Colloids and Crystal Engineering Laboratory
Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar
Engineering microbubbles for biomedical applications
Microbubbles are colloidal particles with 0.1 to 10 μm diameter and consist of a shell made of lipid or protein molecules. The shell encapsulates a gaseous core containing gases such as Perfluorobutane (PFB), Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6) or Oxygen (O2). The microbubble shell can contract and expand upon exposure to ultrasound. This phenomenon enables the use of microbubbles in applications such as contrast imaging, sonoporation and as drug/gene delivery vehicles. Our research efforts are focused on synthesis of microbubbles and understanding the effect of shell material, additives, storage medium and transport properties of core gas on the stability and biocompatibility of aqueous microbubble suspensions.
Cocrystallization to enhance aqueous solubility of poorly water soluble drugs
Cocrystallization is a crystal engineering approach where a multicomponent pharmaceutical solid phase can be engineered using water soluble coformers to enhance dissolution rates and thereby improve bioavailability of poorly water soluble drugs. Cocrystallization of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) with water soluble coformers does not always result in cocrystals but can also lead to formation of eutectics, coamorphous solids or even physical mixtures. Our research focuses on understanding the rationale behind formation of different solid phases such as cocrystals, eutectics, amorphous solids and physical mixtures during cocrystallization by developing insight to the intermolecular interactions among the drug and coformer molecules.
Drug Polymorphism
Polymorphism is defined as the ability of a compound to exist in different solid crystalline phases, which have different arrangements and/or conformations of molecules in solid state. Studies related to the polymorphism are highly important for drug development as different polymorphs have different physicochemical properties and different solubilities. It is therefore neccessary to gain control over the formation of polymorphs during precipitation/crystallization and prevent polymorphic transformations during storage. We are trying to identify the thermodynamic and kinetic factors that significantly affect the polymorphism which can help in facilitating formation of desired polymorphs during crystallization.
Antisolvent crystallization of poorly water soluble drugs
Liquid antisolvent (LAS) precipitation is an alternative to several energy intensive top-down and bottom-up techniques which are currently being used to produce ultrafine particles of poorly water soluble drugs. LAS enables rapid precipitation of solute from solution by addition of another solvent (antisolvent) in which solute is insoluble. The mixing of antisolvent with solvent generates rapid supersaturation by lowering the solubility of the solute in the solution. The generation of a rapid supersaturation favors nucleation over growth leading to formation of submicron particles. We use a combination of ultrasound and polymeric additives to control particle size and size distribution during (LAS) precipitation by way of manipulating supersaturation, nucleation kinetics and particle growth.
Liquid Marbles
Liquid droplets encapsulated in a layer of hydrophobic particles are called as Liquid Marbles (LM). The hydrophobic shell provides a protective cover making the LM selectively permeable to gases and restrict contact of solid or liquid with the liquid inside the hydrophobic shell. LMs can be used as effective microreactors for biological/chemical processes and as gas sensors due to their selective permeability to gases. LMs can be synthesized by rolling or shaking of droplets on a hydrophobic powder bed, by mixing of liquid and particles in an optimal liquid to particle ratio or by releasing liquid droplets on a hydrophobic powder bed from a certain height. We are trying to understand the dynamics of LM formation during its impact on the bed of hydrophobic particles and estimate the effect of various process parameters such as viscosity, surface tension, and the nature of particles on LM formation.

PolyASM lab