A. Hanafi - Nanobiotechology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
M. Kamali - Nanobiotechology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
M. H. Darvishi - Nanobiotechology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
A. Amani - Department of Medical Nanotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Medical Biomaterials Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Nowadays, electrospray is becoming a favourable approach for preparing monodispersed nanoparticles. However, this approach is quite recent and requires further works to optimize control over physicochemical properties of its products. This study aimed to determine the possible effects of sonication as a pretreatment to reduce the size of azelaic acid-chitosan particle before using electrospray. The results showed that sonication treatment can produce submicron particles of azelaic acid-chitosan. By diluting the solution and increasing sonication time and amplitude, smaller particles were obtained with the smallest one at ۵۱۶ nm, sized by dynamic light scattering. The pretreated solution was then electrosprayed to reduce the size of nanoparticles to ۸۰ nm, indicating that sonication may play an important role in reducing the size of electrosprayed nanoparticles. The electrosprayed nanoparticles were nearly monodispersed and almost spherical in shape.

Electrospray, chitosan, Azelaic acid, ultrasonication