The suspensions containing starch submicron particles prepared through a novel high pressure homogenization and mini-emulsion cross-linking technology were spray dried to obtain cross-linked starch submicron particles. Dryer inlet temperature and feed flow rate were varied to investigate their effect on moisture content, glass transition temperature (T-g), morphology of the starch submicron particles. The residual moisture content of the particles was below 10% (w/w) and particle had collapsed morphology. The T-g of these submicron particles varied between 54 and 57 degrees C corresponding to moisture contents of 9.78% and 8.31%, respectively and the cross-linking and the high hydrogen bond density in these submicron particles strongly affected the moisture dependence in their T-g. The X-ray diffraction and FT-IR experiments revealed that these starch submicron particles were in amorphous glassy state, fully cross-linked and had very high extent of hydrogen bonding. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.