Under the supervision of the Dean of the College of Pharmacy, Professor Dr. Sarmed H. Kathem Alkhateeb, the Continuing Education Unit at the University of Baghdad/ College of Pharmacy, held an in-person workshop entitled “Lyophilization of Nanomaterials: Challenges and Opportunities” delivered by Lecturer Salam Shantah Taher, a faculty member at the Pharmaceutics Department.
The workshop aimed to enhance the understanding of researchers and those interested in nanotechnology regarding the effective use of lyophilization to improve the quality and stability of nanomaterials and to stimulate research in this promising field.
The workshop included several topics including: an introduction to nanomaterials and their various forms, highlighting their unique physical and chemical properties compared to conventional materials, the general benefits of lyophilization when applied to nanomaterials and its role in maintaining their stability, the detailed steps of the lyophilization process, from freezing to primary and secondary drying, leading to the final product, examples of commercially available lyophilized pharmaceutical products, along with a discussion of the advantages of this technique in the pharmaceutical field and an explanation of the working principle of the lyophilization device and its main components, including the function of each part in the process.
The workshop concluded that lyophilization is one of the most important techniques used for the preservation and stabilization of nanomaterials, as it maintains their physical and chemical properties without damaging their fine structure. It also emphasized the importance of selecting optimal drying conditions such as temperature, pressure, and duration to prevent particle aggregation or loss of activity.
