In order to prepare well-shaped chitosan beads, you must first dissolve chitosan in a mild acid solution, such as lactic acid or acetic acid.

Once dissolved in mild acid, chitosan molecules bear positive electric charges.

Then, you drop the chitosan solution into a polymer solution wherein this polymer bears negative electric charges.

On contact with the negatively-charged polymer solution, chitosan droplets will react with it.

Examples of negatively-charged polymers are polyphosphate and alginate.

I invite you to read this scientific publication.

Here is the web link.

Microscopic Examination of Chitosan–Polyphosphate Beads with Entrapped Spores of the Biocontrol Agent, Streptomyces melanosporofaciens EF-76 | Microscopy and Microanalysis | Cambridge Core

Guy Jobin It's ok but what about the procedures where polymers are not used ?

Hi Sanjay Kumar I made chitosan beads by preparing 3% medium weight chitosan in 2% glacial acetic acid, stirring at 45 oC for 60 min, and then cooling to RT. You might keep it in the refrigerator until the bubbles disappear and then dropped into alcoholic 1 N NaOH (typically 26% ethanol works) to make the beads.

I hope this helps

You may find interesting scientific articles by typing in these keywords in Google Scholar: chitosan + NaOH + simple coacervation method.

Good luck!

I have tried chitosan beads, they were too fragile using tpp as a crosslinker. I think CHITOSAN from sigma canfabricate beads