Nano-pulverization of poorly water soluble compounds with low melting points by a rotation/revolution pulverizer.

We report a method for pulverizing poorly water soluble compounds with low melting points to nanoparticles without producing an amorphous phase using a rotation/revolution pulverizer. Fenofibrate, flurbiprofen, and probucol were used as crystalline model compounds. They were suspended in a methylcellulose aqueous solution and pulverized with zirconia balls by the rotation/revolution pulverizer. Beeswax, an amorphous compound, was also examined to investigate whether nano-pulverization of a compound with a low melting point was possible. Beeswax was suspended in ethyl alcohol cooled with liquid nitrogen and pulverized with zirconia balls by the rotation/revolution pulverizer. By optimizing the pulverization parameters, nanoparticles (D50 < 0.15 microm) of the crystalline compounds were obtained with narrow particle size distributions at a rotation/revolution speed of 1000 rpm and a rotation/revolution ratio of 1.0 when the vessel was 0 degrees C. Amorphous fenofibrate and flurbiprofen were not detected by differential scanning calorimetry or powder X-ray diffraction, whereas small amounts of amorphous probucol were detected. Beeswax was pulverized to nanoparticles (D50 = 0.14 microm) with ethyl alcohol cooled with liquid nitrogen. Fine nanoparticles of these poorly water soluble compounds with low melting points were obtained by controlling the rotation/revolution speed and reducing the vessel temperature.