Mixing efficiency affects the morphology and compactness of chitosan/tripolyphosphate nanoparticles

Due to the rapid reaction kinetics, the morphology of chitosan/tripolyphosphate nanoparticles was difficult to control. We mixed chitosan and tripolyphosphate through a multi-inlet vortex mixer at different mixing efficiency and characteristic mixing time (τmix). Below a critical τmix, the aggregation of primary chitosan/TPP particles can be ceased. The corresponding aggregation time of primary particles (τagg) was dependent on the ionic strength, the degree of deacetylation and molecular weight of chitosan. Moreover, the particle compactness was estimated from the hydrodynamic diameter and the turbidity using a model based on the Mie theory. Slow and nonhomogeneous mixing led to more compact nanoparticles, while rapid and homogeneous mixing produced nanoparticles with a higher swelling ratio. Besides, the ionic strength and polymer concentration could affect the internal structure of nanoparticles. This study revealed the significance of mixing on the internal structure of chitosan/TPP nanoparticles, which could guide the preparation of other ionically-crosslinked polysaccharide colloids.