Nanopartículas a partir da complexação de quitosana e poli(metacrilato de sódio): estudos de espalhamento de luz

Abstract

Polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) dispersions were prepared from chitosan and poly(sodium acrylate), NaPMA, by mixing their solutions., at different carboxyl to aminium molar ratio, rCA. Gyration radius was determined by SAXS and showed that, as rCA increased, PEC dimensions decreased and reached a minimum at rCA = 0.75, which was considered the ratio at which PEC cluster dimensions was minimum, following collapse and growth of larger particles. Pair distance distributions, P(r), became narrower up to rCA = 0.75, increasing its width from this point. Relaxation-related parameters from DLS intensity correlation functions (ICF) identified three main relaxation process. The fast process, related to free polyelectrolyte molecules random motion disappeared as rCA was increased. The other two relaxation process were a function of rCA and presented marked changes at rCA = 0.75. At the same value of rCA the energy of activation for the average relaxation rate showed the occurrence of a clear change in the nature of PEC-related interactions. As hydrodynamic diameter, determined by DLS was much larger than the gyration radius determined by SAXS, PEC particles could be described as being composed by a core, rich in segregated, insoluble material, enveloped by PEC soluble clusters, possibly in the form of water-rich gels.