Preparation and Characterization of Carboxymethyl Chitosan Nonwovens for Wound Dressing

Abstract

Chitosan has various merits including antimicrobial activity but shows poor liquid handling properties such as fluid absorption and retention, keeping moisture environment, and gel-formation. In order to improve the characteristics of chitosan nonwovens as a wound dressing material, carboxymethyl chitosan nonwovens were prepared by direct carboxymethylation reaction of needle-punched chitosan nonwovens. FT-IR and degree of deacetylation analysis showed O-substitution was dominant, and the amount of sodium chloroacetate and sodium hydroxide had effects on degree of substitution. As the degree of substitution increased, fluid absorption capacities, fluid retention capacities, wet dimensional stability, and tensile strength were increased. Liquid spreading and moisture evaporation were suppressed with the increase of degree of substitution. Overall, O-carboxymethyl chitosan has good potential as a moist wound dressing material.