Pharmaceutical Nano-Systems Production Via Coaxial Jet Mixing: Fluid-Dynamic Regime Analysis and Experimental Validation

This study describes the development and mechanistic analysis of a coaxial jet antisolvent process for the continuous production of nanocarriers. A single experimental platform was used to generate both curcumin-based nanoparticles and nanoliposomes, enabling direct comparison of how mixing regime and formulation variables influence product characteristics. Fluid-dynamic behavior was first characterized using tracer and micromixing experiments, revealing a strong dependence of mixing time and composition gradients on flow conditions. Nanoparticles and liposomes obtained under optimized conditions exhibited submicron sizes and controlled polydispersity. To rationalize these observations, a preliminary computational framework was implemented, combining Reynolds-averaged computational fluid dynamics with a population balance formulation solved by the method of moments. The model provided spatially resolved insight into solvent exchange, supersaturation development, and nucleation–growth dynamics, offering qualitative agreement with experimental trends. Although simplified, the modeling approach establishes the basis for future extensions toward full population-balance distribution simulations capable of predicting complete particle size distributions. Overall, the coaxial jet mixer emerges as a versatile and informative tool for continuous nanocarrier production and for advancing a rational, model-assisted design of pharmaceutical nano-systems.