Q. Is your technology patent protected?
A. We have more than 10 patent filings and further patent applications under development. IOTA NanoSolutions has a robust policy on intellectual property development and protection.

Q. What is the typical nanoparticle size in your dispersions?
A. It varies from active to active but typically can be anything from 10nm to 500 nm.

Q. Is it possible to control the nanoparticle size?
A. Yes, we have techniques which enable a considerable level of control over the particle size produced.

Q. Are you restricted in the excipients that you can use?
A. No, we can use a diverse range including food grade and pharmaceutical grade.

Q. Are there any residual solvents left after you have processed an active?
A. There may be minimal amounts but if this is important for the customer, then we have methods to control it during the processing stage.

Q. Can you work on applications which potentially compete with Unilever businesses?
A. Yes. Unilever are keen to see IOTA NanoSolutions Limited grow and succeed.

Q. Does the crystalline morphology of the active change?
A. In the systems that we have investigated we have shown that nano-crystals are formed.

Q. What is the typical concentration of the active in the powder? In the final dispersion?
A. This can vary depending on the active. We have worked on systems where the active loading in the powder is anything from 10%w/w up to 85%w/w. In the final dispersion we have also obtained a range – from 0.5%w/w up to 10%w/w. This may be increased depending on the customers needs.

Q. How stable are the dispersions of nanoparticles?
A. This depends on the particular system. Some applications require long term stability of the dispersion (i.e. several months) and others require very short term (minutes). We can control stability on a case by case basis depending on the needs of the customer and the characteristics of the final system.

Q. How stable are the dry powders formed?
A. We have retained powders in bottles on shelves for >2 years with no apparent instability issues.

Q. Is it possible to incorporate liquid actives?
A. Yes. However, if a dry powder format is required then there is a limit to how much liquid active that can be incorporated. 20%w/w is generally the maximum in this case.

Q. Are the dispersions or powders affected by temperature? Or pH?
A. This depends on the excipients that we use. Due to the wide range of excipients that are available to us then it is possible to obtain a formulation that is not affected by temperature or pH.

Q. Is it possible to form tablets?
A. Yes, we have formed tablets/pellets in a number of cases. The decrease in surface area will mean that they take a little longer to disperse compared to a powder, but nanoparticle dispersions are formed nonetheless.

Q. Is the technology easily scalable?
A. Yes, our technology uses industry standard equipment and we have access to a number of external contract manufactures who can operate these processes at large scale.

Q. Will our confidential information be available to the rest of Unilever?
A. No – Confidential information provided to IOTA NanoSolutions stays with IOTA NanoSolutions.

Q. How long would it take to process an ingredient?
A. All new ingredients require an initial phase of evaluation by the IOTA NanoSolutions team. We carry out discovery and optimisation phases leading to materials with the potential for scale-up and commercialisation. All stages of the work plans are carried out in close collaboration with our partners and typically take from 3-6 months.