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Updated: May 13, 2026

Fabrication of Size-Controlled and Emulsion-Free Chitosan-Genipin Microgels for Tissue Engineering Applications
Published on: April 13, 2022
Impact of physical parameters on particle size and reaction yield when using the ionic gelation method to obtain
A Fàbregas1, M Miñarro, E García-Montoya
1Service of Development of Medicines (SDM), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Avda. Joan XXIII, s/n 08028 Barcelona, Spain. afabregas@ub.edu
Abstract:
Ionic gelation is the most frequently used method to obtain chitosan-tripolyphosphate nanoparticles due to its simplicity and because it does not generate waste solvents in the samples prepared. This paper presents a study of the physical factors involved in this method for obtaining nanoparticles in order to determine which of them significantly influences the particle size of polymeric nanoparticles made from low-molecular-weight chitosan, without any additional chemical treatment, with the aim of standardising and optimising the method conditions, in addition to establishing the reaction yield. The results indicate that stirring speed during ionic gelation reaction is decisive for the size of the nanoparticles obtained. Furthermore, it thus follows that the stirring speed during ionic gelation significantly affects reaction yield, and therefore, by manipulating this parameter a greater proportion of nanoparticles of a given size range can be obtained.
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