Process Development for Production of Aerogels

Aerogels are nanoporous materials with extremely low bulk density and high specific surface area. Usually they are produced following the sol-gel process followed by suitable solvent removal. In the past few years Aerogels have drawn an increasingly attention in different scientific and industrial applications. Because of their outstanding properties, they have been shown to be potential drug carrier systems. The aim of this work is to extend their potential in pharmaceutical applications by filling the gaps that hinder their use in some delivery routes. Three different strategies were implemented to achieve this goal: (1) in situ production of microspherical aerogel particles; (2) modifying the surface functionality of the aerogel by surface functionalization or coating; (3) and finally by producing aerogel from biodegradable organic based polymers.