Porous chitosan scaffold cross-linked by chemical and natural procedure applied to investigate cell regeneration

► Polymeric scaffolds, made from chitosan-based films fixed by chemical (citrate) or natural method (genipin), were developed. ► Nano-indentation with a constant harmonic frequency was applied on porous scaffolds to explore their surface mechanics. ► The relationship between surface mechanical property and cell-surface interactions of scaffold materials was demonstrated. ► Porous scaffolds cross-linked by genipin showed adequate cell affinity, non-toxicity, and suitable mechanical properties.