Chitosan-graft-poly(methyl methacrylate) amphiphilic nanoparticles: Self-association and physicochemical characterization

•We report on the self-assembly of a chitosan-poly(methyl methacrylate) copolymer.•Self-assembly forms water-swollen nanoparticles with Dh of 150–200 nm.•Sodium tripolyphosphate crosslinking reduces the nanoparticle size.•Sodium tripolyphosphate crosslinking increases the nanoparticle density.•SANS and TEM analyses indicate the formation of multi-micellar nanoparticles. In this work, we synthesized and characterized the self-assembly behavior of a chitosan-poly(methyl methacrylate) graft copolymer and the properties of the formed nanoparticles by static and dynamic light scattering, small-angle neutron scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. Overall, our results indicate that the hydrophobization of the chitosan side-chain with PMMA leads to a complex array of small unimolecular and/or small-aggregation number “building blocks” that further self-assemble into larger amphiphilic nanoparticles.