Patent ID: 7354603

Claim:
A process of preparing controlled release ceramic particles, comprising: a) providing a reverse micelle solution that is the product of mixing a surfactant with an apolar solvent; b) providing a condensing solution that is the product of combining a catalyst, a condensing agent, a polar solvent, and a soluble active material; c) combining said reverse micelle solution and said condensing solution to form an emulsion; and then d) adding a gel precursor or a gel precursor solution to said emulsion to generate droplets of said precursor solution in said reverse micelle solution, such that, within the droplets, ceramic particles form that (i) contain the active material and (ii) are porous to the extent of allowing controlled release of the active material; whereby the active material is substantially homogeneously dispersed within each of the particles and throughout the particles, wherein the gel precursor is selected from the group consisting of a silica-based gel precursor, an alumina-based gel precursor, a titanium dioxide-based gel precursor, an iron oxide-based gel precursor, a zirconium dioxide-based gel precursor, and a combination thereof.