Conformational change of chitosan chains upon solvent shifting for nanoprecipitation

Nanoprecipitation (Ouzo effect) is an efficient method to create polymer nanomaterials by adding an anti-solvent to a polymer solution, causing nanoparticle formation. Chitosan, a biocompatible polysaccharide, shows promise in applications like drug delivery and tissue engineering, but traditional preparation methods are complex. This project focuses on preparing chitosan nanoparticles via nanoprecipitation in water/acetone mixtures, examining the effect of chitosan structure (acetylation and molar mass) on the process. We aim to understand nanoprecipitation mechanisms, nanoparticle size control, and phase separation. SAXS will be mainly used to study chitosan conformation and nanoparticle formation. The results will reveal the driving forces for nanostructuration, particle growth, and the role of solvent composition. Experiments will be conducted on D2AM beamline with a custom setup for acetone addition in various chitosan solutions and suspensions.