Abstract
Surface-initiated graft atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methyl methacrylate (MMA) from self-assembled chitin nanofibers (CNFs) was performed under dispersion conditions. Self-assembled CNFs were initially prepared by regeneration from a chitin ion gel with 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide using methanol; the product was then converted into the chitin nanofiber macroinitiator by reaction with α-bromoisobutyryl bromide in a dispersion containing N,N-dimethylformamide. Surface-initiated graft ATRP of MMA from the initiating sites on the CNFs was subsequently carried out under dispersion conditions, followed by filtration to obtain the CNF-graft-polyMMA film. Analysis of the product confirmed the occurrence of the graft ATRP on the surface of the CNFs.
Highlights
Chitin is a natural polysaccharide composed of β-(1→4)-linked N-acetyl-D-glucosamine units, and occurs mainly in the exoskeletons of crustaceans, shellfish, and insects [1,2,3]
We found that the ionic liquid 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (AMIMBr) dissolved chitin in concentrations up to ca. 4.8 wt% and further formed ion gels with higher contents of chitin [19,20]
The chitin nanofibers (CNFs) dispersion with methanol was first prepared from the chitin ion gel with
Summary
Chitin is a natural polysaccharide composed of β-(1→4)-linked N-acetyl-D-glucosamine units, and occurs mainly in the exoskeletons of crustaceans, shellfish, and insects [1,2,3]. Studies on the conversion of chitin into functional bio-based materials, such as nanomaterials, by means of the proper dissolution, gelation, and processing have attracted much attention even in recent years [4,5,6,7]. To efficiently provide functional chitin materials through dissolution or gelation, we have focused on ionic liquids, which are low-melting-point salts that form liquids at temperatures below the boiling point of water, because they are identified as good solvents for natural polysaccharides such as cellulose [8,9,10,11,12]. We reported in a subsequent publication that chitin self-assembled to form a nanofiber dispersion by regeneration from the ion gel using methanol [21,22]. When the dispersion was subjected to filtration, the isolated self-assembled chitin nanofibers (CNFs) entangled and formed a film
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