Dr. Sheena M. Reeves
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
smreeves@pvamu.edu
Development of Hydrocortisone Nanosuspensions using Evaporative Precipitation and
Cooling Precipitation
Nanosuspensions serve as a solution for developing novel composites of organic and inorganic
materials. These composites have applications in fields such as membrane, catalysis, optics, and
many others. For this project, the student will investigate the particle size distribution of
hydrocortisone particles created from nanosuspensions. Hydrocortisone is a widely used antiinflammatory drug that has poor water solubility. Precipitation results will provide preliminary
size information for adding the material to a salt, metal, or polymer. A “bottom-up” technique,
where molecules are dissolved and precipitated, will be applied for this project. The students will
utilize variations of evaporative precipitation and cooling precipitation techniques to determine
which method(s) produces stable nanoparticles and reduces the effect of Ostwald ripening. The
students will also investigate the influence of solvent mixtures on the solubility of
hydrocortisone and the particle size distribution of the particles created from the precipitation.
Student should have basic knowledge of chemistry especially solubility and have experience
with Microsoft Excel. Student will receive more guidance in the area of precipitation and should
be willing to read journal articles about the topic. Preferences are students in chemistry, chemical
engineering, or mechanical engineering.