Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 May 2012
Core-shell PLLA microparticles were successfully fabricated using a novel coaxial nozzle design. These particles were synthesized with different components in the core/shell layers representing three classes of systems of interest for drug delivery applications: PVA/PLLA, PLLA/PEG, and oleic acid/PLLA. The components were characterized for their physical properties and interfacial energies, and optimal conditions for the operation were determined. To facilitate the particle characterization, each phase was doped with a different fluorescent dye to aid in the confirmation of a core/shell structure via fluorescence microscopy.