Characterization of crystalline drug nanoparticles using atomic force microscopy and complementary techniques.

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to image crystalline drug nanoparticles from a liquid dispersion and in a solid dosage form for the determination of size, shape, and distribution.

Methods: Crystalline drug nanoparticles were adsorbed from a colloidal dispersion on glass for atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging. Nanoparticles that were spray coated onto a host bead were exposed by ultramicrotomy for scanning electron microscopy and AFM examination.