Synthesis of silica chitosan oligosaccharides nanoparticles

Abstract

Objective: To obtain chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) and evaluate COS uses for the obtention of nanosystem based on silica as vehicle and compare the COS-silica nanosystem with the chitosan (Chi) precursor system as Chitosan-silica nanosystems.
 Design/methodology/approach: A combination of hydrolysis chemical and mechanical (microwave assisted) were used to obtain COS with the oxidative action of hydrogen peroxide. Sol-Gel adapted method was used to synthetize silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) from sodium metasilicate and the electrostatic interactions between SiNPs and Chi/COS were used to functionalize the SiNPs surface with Chi/COS. 
 Results: Nanosystem composed from COS and SiNPs were obtained successful as A COS-SiNPs and C COS-SiNPs with particle size of 139.35 nm and 251.8 nm and zeta potential of 30.40 mV and 34.67 mV respectively with antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.
 Limitations on study/implications: Stabilize the systems compound of chitosan-silica nanoparticles due to the molecular weight of chitosan which loss the stabilized the SiNPs suspension and due the incompatibility of both systems pH.
 Findings/conclusions: COS and COS-SiNPs stable systems were obtained with an improvement of the antimicrobial activity of the system in contrast of Chi-SiNPs systems.