PHARMACEUTICAL PROCESSING WITH SUPERCRITICAL CARBON-DIOXIDE

Replacement of traditional solvents with ''environmentally benign'' ca rbon dioxide is receiving increased attention in pharmaceutical proces sing. Among the reported applications, particle formation with dense c arbon dioxide and the ''clean'' synthesis of drug compounds using carb on dioxide as a reaction medium hold immense potential for large-scale application in the pharmaceutical industry. This paper provides-an ov erview of these rapidly emerging technologies along with examples of t he wide variety of relatively contaminant-free pharmaceutical compound s that have been processed via these technologies on a laboratory scal e. Challenges facing successful implementation in practice include dem onstration of continuous production' and harvesting of particles with desired and reproducible product characteristics. Mathematical models aimed at a better fundamental understanding of the underlying thermoph ysical phenomena are essential for rational design and scale-up of the se technologies.