Chitosan as stabilizing agent for negatively charged nanoparticles

Chitosan is a biocompatible polysaccharide with positive Z potential which can stabilize negative charged nanoparticles. Silk fibroin nanoparticles and citrate gold nanoparticles, both with negative Z potential, but they form aggregates at physiological ionic strength. In this work, we study the behavior of chitosan in solution when the ionic strength of the medium is increased and how the concentration of chitosan and the proportion of the two components (chitosan and AuNP or SFN) significantly affect the stability and size of the nanocomposites formed. In addition to experimental measurements, molecular modeling were used to gain insight into how chitosan interacts with silk fibroin monomers, and to identify the main energetic interactions involved in the process. The optimum values for obtaining the smallest and most homogeneous stable nanocomposites were obtained and two different ways of organization through which chitosan may exert its stabilizing effect were suggested.