Supercritical carbon dioxide design strategies: from drug carriers to soft killers

Abstract

The integrated use of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO 2 ) and micro- and nanotechnologies has enabled new sustainable strategies for the manufacturing of new medications. ‘Green’ scCO 2 -based methodologies are well suited to improve either the synthesis or materials processing leading to the assembly of three-dimensional multifunctional constructs. By using scCO 2 either as C1 feedstock or as solvent, simple, economic, efficient and clean routes can be designed to synthesize materials with unique properties such as polyurea dendrimers and oxazoline-based polymers/oligomers. These new biocompatible, biodegradable and water-soluble polymeric materials can be engineered into multifunctional constructs with antimicrobial activity, targeting moieties, labelling units and/or efficiently loaded with therapeutics. This mini-review highlights the particular features exhibited by these materials resulting directly from the followed supercritical routes.