![]() Hybrid microparticles can be also manufactured using different techniques, such as coacervation, spay-drying, layer-by-layer, sol-gel, etc., but one of the most flexible and usable methods is emulsion solidification. A variety of methods based on HA deposition onto the pre-formed polymeric microparticle is presented in the literature. The fabrication method for polymer/HA microparticles affects the particle structure and composition. ![]() For example, since bone is a highly organized natural nanocomposite consisting of collagen fibers mineralized with hydroxyapatite nanocrystals, the application of biodegradable microparticles containing hydroxyapatite (HA) could be beneficial for bone regeneration. The composition of microparticles should correspond to the type of tissue to replace and restore. The addition of natural (collagen, chitosan, gelatin, etc.) or inorganic components is often used for producing microparticles tailored as cell microcarriers for tissue engineering so they could mimic the natural matrix for cells to proliferate successfully. Microparticles comprised of biodegradable polymers (polylactide, polycaprolactone, etc.) are commonly used in drug delivery where slow polymer core degradation enables prolonged drug release. Diverse functionality of the multicomponent microparticles is explained by a variety of their properties, which could be adjusted as a function of composition and structure. Multicomponent polymer-based microparticles are of great interest due to their research potential and a wide range of applications as catalysts, drug delivery systems, microscaffolds for tissue engineering, building blocks for the fabrication of larger 3D objects, etc. Preliminary ultrasound treatment of any phase before the emulsification process led to a complex effect but did not affect the homogeneity of nHA distribution within the polymeric core of the hybrid microparticles. Addition of nHA either within the aqueous or oil phase allowed the effective stabilization of the oil/water interface without additional molecular surfactants, giving rise to hybrid microparticles in which total yield, size distribution, and surface morphology depended on all studied processing conditions. The effect of processing conditions (polymer nature, polymer/nHA ratio, ultrasound treatment) on particles’ total yield, size distribution, surface and volume morphology, and chemical structure was analyzed using SEM, EDX, Raman spectroscopy, and mapping. ![]() The process of polyester microparticle fabrication using nHA for the oil/water interface stabilization was studied as a function of phase used for nHA addition, which allows the preparation of a range of microparticles either filled with nHA or having it as a shell over the polymeric core. The current research implements the surfactant-free approach for the fabrication of polyester-based microparticles filled with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHA) via the oil/water Pickering emulsion solvent evaporation technique for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. ![]() Biodegradable polyester/hydroxyapatite microparticles are widely proposed as microcarriers for drug/cell delivery or scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration. ![]()
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