Hybrid Nanogels Based on Chitosan Hydrochloride-Ascorbate Derived by Sol-Gel Biomimetic Synthesis

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Nanostructured hydrogels obtained by the in situ sol-gel technology represent innovative systems for theranostic applications. Controlled self-assembly of charged macromolecular chains to form a polymer network due to specific non-covalent interactions is one of the methods to produce ionic biopolymer-based nanoscale gels. However, the structural lability and kinetic instability of such systems are significant disadvantages. In this study, we propose a preparation process of hybrid nanogels based on chitosan hydrochloride-ascorbate by biomimetic sol-gel synthesis at 20 and 80 °С using an organic-inorganic precursor. With the influence of the concentrations of the precursor, the binary chitosan salt, and a low-molecular-weight accelerator, the temperature of the sol-gel synthesis on the gelation time of our multicomponent chitosan-containing systems was evaluated. An increased concentration of the polymer salt, the introduction of an accelerator, and an increased temperature are shown to accelerate the gelation process. The refractive index (nD25) and pH of the silicon-chitosan-containing hydrogels were measured. A solid phase in these hydrogels was isolated by cold extraction combined with cryotreatment. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the solid phase of the hybrid nanogels is a matrix of agglomerated particles whose sizes increase with the chitosan concentration in the system.