Microfluidic Platform for the Continuous Production and Characterization of Multilamellar Vesicles: A Synchrotron Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) Study

A microfluidic platform combined with synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was used for monitoring the continuous production of multilamellar vesicles (MLVs). Their production was fast and started to evolve within less than 0.43 s of contact between the lipids and the aqueous phase. To obtain nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution, it was important to use a modified hydrodynamic flow focusing (HFF) microfluidic device with narrower microchannels than those normally used for SAXS experiments. Monodispersed MLVs as small as 160 nm in size, with a polydispersity index (PDI) of approximately 0.15 were achieved. The nanoparticles produced were smaller and had a narrower size distribution than those obtained via conventional bulk mixing methods. This microfluidic platform therefore has a great potential for the continuous production of monodispersed NPs.