SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PROTONCONDUCTING MEMBRANES BASED ON BACTERIAL CELLULOSE AND HUMAN HAIR KERATIN

Abstract

Studies on composite proton-conducting membranes made of human hair keratin and bacterial cellulose have been done. Keratin from human hair is produced through hydrolysis using NaOH as a solvent. Composite membranes constructed of bacterial cellulose and human hair keratin had mass variations of 4.5/0.5, 4.7/0.3, and 4/1. At temperatures of 25 ºC, 40 ºC, 60 ºC, and 80 ºC, the proton-conducting composite membrane was evaluated for Fourier Transform InfraRed, X-Ray Diffraction, degree of swelling, and proton conductivity. The interaction of bacterial cellulose and human hair keratin appeared at the peak of 3000-3500 cm-1, as evidenced by functional group analysis of bacterial cellulose and human hair keratin composite membranes from Fourier Transform InfraRed. The produced composite membrane was semicrystalline in each mass variation, according to the results of the X-Ray Diffraction examination. The variant of bacterial cellulose and human hair keratin 4/1 showed the highest degree of swelling (34.09%). The composite membrane keratin made of bacterial cellulose and human hair had the maximum proton conductivity, with a variation of 4/1 and a value of 3.673 x 10-5 S/cm at a temperature of 25 ºC.