Chitosan-based Composites Research Articles

Investigation of Microstructure and Physical Characteristics of Eco-Friendly Piezoelectric Composite Thin Films Based on Chitosan and Ln2O3-Doped Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3-BaTiO3 Nanoparticles.

This paper investigates the synthesis and characterization of eco-friendly piezoelectric composite thin films composed of chitosan and Ln2O3-doped Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3-BaTiO3 (NBT-BT) nanoparticles. The films were fabricated using a solution-casting technique, successfully embedding the particles into the chitosan matrix, which resulted in enhanced piezoelectric properties compared to pure chitosan. Characterization methods, such as photoluminescence spectroscopy and piezo-response force microscopy (PFM) which revealed strong electromechanical responses, with notable improvements in piezoelectric performance due to the inclusion of NBT-BT nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed a pure perovskite phase with the space group R3c for NBT-BT and NBT-BT-Ln particles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed a non-uniform distribution of NBT-BT particles within the chitosan matrix. The results also suggest that the incorporation of rare earth elements further enhances the electrical and piezoelectric properties of the composites, highlighting their potential in flexible and smart device applications. Overall, these findings underscore the potential of chitosan-based composites in addressing environmental concerns while offering effective solutions for energy harvesting and biomedical applications.

Characterization optimization of synthesis Chitosanclay/benzoin/Fe3O4 composite for adsorption of Thionine dye by design expert study

A novel composite material, magnetic chitosan-clay/benzoin/Fe3O4 (CS-CY/Benz/Fe3O4), was synthesized for effectively removing thionine dye (TH) from water solutions. The structural integrity and suitability of CS- CY/Benz/Fe3O4 composite for adsorption purposes were validated through extensive characterization techniques including BET, XRD, FTIR, and SEM. The adsorption efficiency was optimized through a Box–Behnken design (BBD) employing response surface methodology (RSM), focusing on variables such as adsorbent dose (A: 0.02–0.08 g), solution pH (B: 4–10), temperature (C: 30–60 °C), and time (D: 5–30 min). Experimental results revealed a maximum TH removal of 99% with significant interactions between temperature (C) and time (D) (p-value = 0.0001). The optimal conditions for TH removal were determined as pH ~ 5.91, adsorbent dosage of 0.08 g, temperature of 54.34 °C, and time of 29.7 min. The investigation of kinetics revealed that the adsorption process conformed to a pseudo-second-order (PSO) model, while the equilibrium data were effectively described by the Freundlich isotherm model. At a temperature of 333.15 K and a TH concentration of 350 mg/L, the adsorption capacity was determined to be 660.86 mg/g. The mechanism of adsorption encompassed various interactions such as electrostatic attractions, n–π interactions, hydrogen bonding, and Yoshida H-bonding. Particularly, the CS-CY/Benz/Fe3O4 composite demonstrated strong magnetic responsiveness, enabling straightforward separation from water using an external magnetic field after adsorption. Particularly, the CS-CY/Benz/Fe3O4 composite demonstrated strong magnetic responsiveness, enabling straightforward separation from water using an external magnetic field after adsorption. This research contributes important findings to the advancement of magnetic chitosan-based composites for efficient removal of TH dye pollutants from water environments.

Advanced chitosan-based composites for sustainable removal of Congo red from textile wastewater

The non-biodegradable Congo red (CR) dye which is widely used in textile industries has poses carcinogenic risks due to its complex reactions that may generate benzidine. Effective treatment of industrial effluent containing CR dye is imperative. This study assessed chitosan (Cs) and chitosan/fly ash (Cs/Fa) composites for biosorbing CR dye from synthetic textile wastewater. Fly ash varied in the range of (1:0.25–1:1) with chitosan to assess adsorption performance. Characterization techniques included FTIR, SEM, EDX, BET, and zeta potential analyses. Response surface methodology guided the determination of optimal variables. The study examined Cs and Cs/Fa dosage (A), time (B), and initial dye concentration (C) effects on CR removal. Incorporating fly ash substantially cut adsorption costs by 50% while enhancing dye removal up to 85% at pH 6. Improved acidic stability of chitosan (Cs/Fa 1:0.75) was notable. Chitosan (Cs) exhibited a high Congo red removal efficiency of 98% while the chitosan/fly ash (Cs/Fa) composites showed a substantial removal efficiency of 94%. Optimal conditions were 2 g L−1 of adsorbents, initial CR concentration of 40 mg L−1 for 120 min. Freundlich isotherm model best described adsorption behavior. Pseudo-second-order kinetics correlated significantly (R2 = 0.999). This study showed the potential of Cs and Cs/Fa bio-composites for effective textile wastewater treatment.

Profiling of Modified Chitosan-Based Composites as Tetracycline Hydrochloride Drug Release Systems

Profiling of Modified Chitosan-Based Composites as Tetracycline Hydrochloride Drug Release Systems

The Potential of Chitosan-Based Composites for Adsorption of Diarrheic Shellfish Toxins.

Okadaic acid (OA) is one of the most potent marine biotoxins, causing diarrheal shellfish poisoning (DSP). The proliferation of microalgae that produce OA and its analogues is frequent, threatening human health and socioeconomic development. Several methods have been tested to remove this biotoxin from aquatic systems, yet none has proven enough efficacy to solve the problem. In this work, we synthesized and characterized low-cost composites and tested their efficacy for OA adsorption in saltwater. For the synthesis of the composites, the following starting materials were considered: chitosan of low and medium molecular weight (CH-LW and CH-MW, respectively), activated carbon (AC), and montmorillonite (MMT). Characterization by vibrational spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and microscopy revealed differences in the mode of interaction of CH-LW and CH-MW with AC and MMT, suggesting that the interaction of CH-MW with MMT has mainly occurred on the surface of the clay particles and no sufficient intercalation of CH-MW into the MMT interlayers took place. Among the composites tested (CH-LW/AC, CH-MW/AC, CH-MW/AC/MMT, and CH-MW/MMT), CH-MW/MMT was the one that revealed lower OA adsorption efficiency, given the findings evidenced by the structural characterization. On the contrary, the CH-MW/AC composite revealed the highest average percentage of OA adsorption (53 ± 11%). Although preliminary, the results obtained in this work open up good perspectives for the use of this type of composite material as an adsorbent in the removal of OA from marine environments.

Chitosan/magnetic biochar composite with enhanced reusability: Synergistic effect of functional groups and multilayer structure

Heavy metals in water bodies pose a significant threat to both ecology and human well-being. Therefore, the development of green and sustainable adsorbents for water remediation is essential. This study presents a crosslinked chitosan composite structure with multiple layers, which was generated by adjusting the ratio of chitosan to wheat straw–derived magnetic biochar in the composite. The adsorption behavior of the composite under different conditions was revealed by varying the Cr(VI) concentration, pH, and temperature. The composite exhibited a maximum adsorption of 121.8 mg g−1 for Cr(VI) in water, which was 11.9 times higher than that of magnetic biochar. It maintained a residual performance of 78.6 % after seven cycles, higher than most chitosan-based composites. The reusability was improved via hydrochloric acid protonation of functional groups and layer-by-layer exposure of the composite structure. This study provides new insights into the application of composites derived from chitosan and wheat straw, an agricultural waste, as sustainable adsorbents.

Circular Economy in Guaiamum and Uçá Crab Waste in Brazil: Potential By-Products—A Systematic Literature Review

This study aimed to fill a gap in the sustainable management of the reverse supply chain of Guaiamum and Uçá crab waste in Brazil, an endangered species. The study focused on the circular economy, governance, and recent developments, and identified circular economy practices in the utilization of solid waste from the fishing and collection of these species in extractive regions, in line with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A systematic literature review was conducted in major scientific databases. The selection of the 20 research publications followed pre-established criteria, including relevance to the SDGs and systematic review methodology. The results highlighted key variables related to the characteristics of by-products and the factors that influence the adoption of circular economy practices, in line with relevant SDGs. The most mentioned by-products include animal feed, organic fertilizer, biofuels, crab shell chitin biocomposite derivatives, as well as Chitosan-based composites for food packaging applications due to their non-toxicity, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties. The study also identified future research opportunities covering education, policy, and management, in line with the UN SDGs. This study emphasizes the importance of the circular economy for solid crab waste in Brazil, a country with 12% of the world’s mangroves, which are essential both as a nursery for crabs and for ocean nutrition. It also analyzes current trends and initiatives in the reverse management of Guaiamum and Uçá crab waste, in the context of Supply Chain and Sustainable Management.

Myrica esculenta Leaf Extract-Assisted Green Synthesis of Porous Magnetic Chitosan Composites for Fast Removal of Cd (II) from Water: Kinetics and Thermodynamics of Adsorption.

Heavy metal contamination in water resources is a major issue worldwide. Metals released into the environment endanger human health, owing to their persistence and absorption into the food chain. Cadmium is a highly toxic heavy metal, which causes severe health hazards in human beings as well as in animals. To overcome the issue, current research focused on cadmium ion removal from the polluted water by using porous magnetic chitosan composite produced from Kaphal (Myrica esculenta) leaves. The synthesized composite was characterized by BET, XRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM with EDX, and VSM to understand the structural, textural, surface functional, morphological-compositional, and magnetic properties, respectively, that contributed to the adsorption of Cd. The maximum Cd adsorption capacities observed for the Fe3O4 nanoparticles (MNPs) and porous magnetic chitosan (MCS) composite were 290 mg/g and 426 mg/g, respectively. Both the adsorption processes followed second-order kinetics. Batch adsorption studies were carried out to understand the optimum conditions for the fast adsorption process. Both the adsorbents could be regenerated for up to seven cycles without appreciable loss in adsorption capacity. The porous magnetic chitosan composite showed improved adsorption compared to MNPs. The mechanism for cadmium ion adsorption by MNPs and MCS has been postulated. Magnetic-modified chitosan-based composites that exhibit high adsorption efficiency, regeneration, and easy separation from a solution have broad development prospects in various industrial sewage and wastewater treatment fields.

Chitosan zinc nanocomposite: A promising slow releasing zinc nano fertilizer

In the present era, zinc deficiency in agricultural soil is a globally widespread issue and it results in depressed plant growth and food grains with less nutrition. Consumption of such zinc-deficient diets may lead to many lifestyle diseases in humans. Sustained nutrient availability from conventional fertilizers is one of the challenges being faced in the agricultural sector. Nano fertilizers are a promising area for the fertilizer industry with a huge potential to improve nutrient retention for optimal growth. We herein report the synthesis of zinc nanocomposite utilizing chitosan, a nature-derived biopolymer as a nutrient carrier to sustain crop production. It was prepared by ionic gelation method using sodium tripolyphosphate as cross-linking agent. The morphology and the hybrid nature of the new nanocomposite were characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy(FE-SEM), EDAX, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and FT-IR spectroscopy. Results from the atomic absorption spectrum after soil percolation studies reveal the release of zinc nutrients in a controlled manner as compared to conventional zinc fertilizer. This indicates that a chitosan-based composite could be a viable alternative method to be used as a nanocarrier for nutrients in agronomic biofortification.

Green Additives in Chitosan-Based Bioplastic Films: Physical, Mechanical, and Chemical Properties.

To switch to alternatives for fossil-fuel-based polymer materials, renewable raw materials from green resources should be utilized. Chitosan is such a material that is a strong, but workable derivative from chitin, obtained from crustaceans. However, various applications ask for specific plastic properties, such as certain flexibility, hardness and transparency. With different additives, also obtainable from green resources, chitosan-based composites in the form of self-supporting films, ranging from very hard and brittle to soft and flexible were successfully produced. The additives turned out to belong to one of three categories, namely linear, non-linear, or crosslinking additives. The non-linear additives could only be taken up to a certain relative amount, whereas the uptake of linear additives was not limited within the range of our experiments. Additives with multiple functional groups tend to crosslink chitosan even at room temperature in an acidic medium. Finally, it was shown that dissolving the chitosan in acetic acid and subsequently drying the matrix as a film results in reacetylation compared to the starting chitosan source, resulting in a harder material. With these findings, it is possible to tune the properties of chitosan-based polymer materials, making a big step towards application of this renewable polymer within consumer goods.

Chitosan-Based Composites: Development and Perspective in Food Preservation and Biomedical Applications.

Chitin, which may be the second-most common polymer after cellulose, is the raw material of chitosan. Chitosan has been infused with various plant extracts and subsidiary polymers to improve its biological and physiological properties. Chitosan's physicochemical properties are enhanced by blending, making them potential candidates that can be utilized in multifunctional areas, including food processing, nutraceuticals, food quality monitoring, food packaging, and storage. Chitosan-based biomaterials are biocompatible, biodegradable, low toxic, mucoadhesive, and regulate chemical release. Therefore, they are used in the biomedical field. The present manuscript highlights the application of chitosan-based composites in the food and biomedical industries.

Preparation of DES lignin-chitosan aerogel and its adsorption performance for dyes, catechin and epicatechin

Herein, DES lignin was obtained by pretreatment of grapevine with a deep eutectic solvent (ChCl-LA). A novel chitosan-DES lignin composite aerogel material (CS-LIG aerogel) was prepared to adsorb methylene blue (MB), Congo red (CR), catechin (C), and epicatechin (EC). The CS-LIG aerogel was systematically characterized by modern technological instruments. It was demonstrated that the DES lignin was successfully incorporated and had an important effect on the morphological structure and adsorption of dyes and natural products in the aerogel. The adsorption kinetic models for both adsorbed CR and MB are pseudo-second-order models. Adsorption isotherms followed Langmuir for the adsorption of CR and Freundlich for the adsorption of MB. The π-π interaction and hydrogen bonding of DES lignin aromatic groups in CS-LIG aerogels were responsible for the adsorption of C and EC with 86.42 % and 90.85 % removal rates, respectively. This study opens a new avenue for the high-value utilization of DES lignin and the preparation of chitosan-based composites for the adsorption of dyes and purification of natural products.

Chitosan based composite scaffolds in skin wound repair: A review

Chitosan (CS) is one of the abundant natural polymers which is suitable for wound healing due to its biodegradable, biocompatible, bioadhesive and antimicrobial behaviour. Present review reveals the critical analysis regarding the eligibility and advantages of nanostructured chitosan-based composites towards wound healing. The mechanisms of different healing processes with their special features are established. Wound healing properties exhibited by modified chitosan are discussed in details. Benefits of functionalizing chitosan and their combination with nano-dimensional fillers for wound healing are summarized in tabular and schematic form. Besides this, the wound healing efficacies of Schiff's base modified chitosan and bioactive molecules loaded chitosan are extensively discussed in this review. With connection to the latest technologies for wound healing, the use of chitosan as a bio-ink in 3D printing of wound dressing material is analysed. This review may explore a comprehensive idea regarding the chitosan-based nanocomposites for designing of various wound dressing materials.

Fabrication of carboxymethyl chitosan/oxidized carboxymethyl cellulose composite film and its assessment for coating preservation of strawberry

In the current study, a novel chitosan-based composite, carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCHS)/oxidized carboxymethyl cellulose (OCMC) was fabricated and characterized. The composite film (CMCHS 1.5%w/v+OCMC 0.8%w/v) was more uniform and had better tensile properties, UV blocking, water vapor permeability, and antifungal properties than pure CMCHS film. Preservation experiments showed that the CMCHS/OCMC film was more efficient for retaining the quality decrease of strawberry during storage. By the end of 7 days' storage, the hardness, contents of organic acid, soluble solids, and reducing sugar of coated strawberries were increased by 35.1%, 38.5%, 14.1%, and 3.5%, respectively, compared to the control group; and the decay rate of strawberries in CMCHS/OCMC group also dropped to 36%, about 42% decrease than that in control, suggesting the promising application of CMCHS/OCMC composite in coating preservation.

Preparation of biochar@chitosan-polyethyleneimine for the efficient removal of uranium from water environment

A novel chitosan-based composite with rich active sites was synthesized by uniformly dispersing biochar into the cross-linked network structure formed by chitosan and polyethyleneimine. Due to the synergistic effect of biochar (minerals) and chitosan-polyethyleneimine interpenetrating network (amino and hydroxyl), the chitosan-based composite possessed an excellent adsorption performance for uranium(VI). It could rapidly (<60 min) achieve a high adsorption efficiency (96.7 %) for uranium(VI) from water and a high static saturated adsorption capacity (633.4 mg/g), which was far superior to other chitosan-based adsorbents. Moreover, the separation for uranium(VI) on the chitosan-based composite was suitable for a variety of actual water environments and the adsorption efficiencies all exceeded 70 % in different water bodies. The soluble uranium(VI) could be completely removed by the chitosan-based composite in the continuous adsorption process, which could meet the permissible limits of the World Health Organization. In sum, the novel chitosan-based composite could overcome the bottleneck of current chitosan-based adsorption materials and become a potential adsorbent for the remediation of actual uranium(VI) contaminated wastewater.

Hygrothermal properties of insulation materials from rice straw and natural binders for buildings

Conversion agricultural straws to building insulation materials has attracted great interest due to their good hygrothermal properties and low carbon footprint. In this study, fully bio-sourced composite materials were designed based on rice straw and natural binders. Sodium alginate and chitosan were used as the binders. A crosslinking method was proposed to prevent the water-soluble issue of the composites using sodium alginate as the binder. The influence of fiber size, binder type and binder ratio on the hygrothermal properties of the composite materials made of rice straw were investigated. It was found that all the materials are insulating with their thermal conductivity values between 0.038 and 0.047 W/(m⋅K). The alginate-based composites had the higher water vapor permeability and moisture sorption capacity than the chitosan-based composites. Larger fiber size and lower binder ratio resulted in lower thermal conductivity and higher water vapor permeability. However, fiber size and binder ratio had a negligible effect on moisture sorption capacity of the composite materials. Additionally, the mold growth was investigated by exposing the composite materials to severe conditions, i.e., 93% RH and 97% RH at 20 °C. Mold proliferation was found to be easier and quicker in the surface of alginate-based composites compared to the chitosan-based composites.

Preparation and characterization of chitosan-curdlan composite magnetized by zinc ferrite for efficient adsorption of tetracycline antibiotics in water

Tetracycline (TC) antibiotic-related water pollution directly threatens human health and ecosystems. Here, a zinc ferrite/chitosan-curdlan (ZNF/CHT-CRD) magnetic composite was prepared via a co-precipitation method to be used as a novel, green adsorbent for TC removal from water. Benefiting from a multitude of functional groups, CRD was first crosslinked with CHT and then magnetized with ZNF to provide an easy separation from the solution with an external magnetic force. The successful synthesis and magnetization of the composite were verified with different characterization techniques. The effect of solution pH and composite dosage was carefully evaluated. The optimum solution pH and composite dosage were 6 and 0.65 g/L, respectively, with complete TC removal. The adsorption process by the magnetic composite followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm models. The maximum adsorption capacity determined from the Langmuir model was 371.42 mg/g at 328 K. Thermodynamic parameters indicated endothermic and spontaneous adsorption. Meanwhile, the composite could be readily separated from the aqueous solution thanks to its magnetic property. Then, it was regenerated with acetone and ethanol to be reused for five more successive cycles. Interestingly, the prepared adsorbent was highly stable and performant in removing TC, maintaining approximately 90 % of its first-cycle adsorption capacity. The adsorption mechanism was primarily attributed to electrostatic and hydrogen bonding attractions. Overall, the currently developed adsorbent could be a more favorable, efficient, and cost-effective candidate than other magnetic chitosan-based composites. These features make it applicable for treating water contaminated with various pharmaceutical pollutants with high separation efficiency and easy recovery under successive adsorption-desorption cycles.

Recent Advances of Chitosan Formulations in Biomedical Applications.

Chitosan, a naturally abundant cationic polymer, is chemically composed of cellulose-based biopolymers derived by deacetylating chitin. It offers several attractive characteristics such as renewability, hydrophilicity, biodegradability, biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity towards gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria as well as fungi, etc., because of which it is receiving immense attention as a biopolymer for a plethora of applications including drug delivery, protective coating materials, food packaging films, wastewater treatment, and so on. Additionally, its structure carries reactive functional groups that enable several reactions and electrochemical interactions at the biomolecular level and improves the chitosan’s physicochemical properties and functionality. This review article highlights the extensive research about the properties, extraction techniques, and recent developments of chitosan-based composites for drug, gene, protein, and vaccine delivery applications. Its versatile applications in tissue engineering and wound healing are also discussed. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives for chitosan in biomedical applications are elucidated.

Hybrid Graphenene Oxide/Cellulose Nanofillers to Enhance Mechanical and Barrier Properties of Chitosan-Based Composites.

Chitosan-based hybrid nanocomposites, containing cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), graphene oxide (GO), and borate as crosslinking agents, were successfully prepared by solution-casting technique. The synergistic effect of the two fillers, and the role of the cross-linker, in enhancing the structural and functional properties of the chitosan polymer, was investigated. XPS results confirm the chemical interaction between borate ions and hydroxyl groups of chitosan, GO, and CNCs. The morphological characterization shows that the GO sheets are oriented along the casting surface, whereas the CNC particles are homogenously distributed in the sample. Results of tensile tests reveal that the presence of graphene oxide enhances the elastic modulus, tensile strength, elongation at break, and toughness of chitosan, while cellulose and borate induce an increase in the elastic modulus and stress at the yield point. In particular, the borate-crosslinked chitosan-based sample containing 0.5 wt% of GO and 0.5 wt% of CNCs shows an elongation at a break value of 30.2% and a toughness value of 988 J*m−3 which are improved by 124% and 216%, respectively, compared with the pristine chitosan. Moreover, the water permeability results show that the presence of graphene oxide slightly increases the water barrier properties, whereas the borate and cellulose nanocrystals significantly reduce the water vapor permeability of the polymer by about 50%. Thus, by modulating the content of the two reinforcing fillers, it is possible to obtain chitosan-based nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical and water barrier properties which can be potentially used in various applications such as food and electronic packaging.

Optimization of different polymer composites films for the removal of chromium

Heavy metal pollutants in water are of great concern. Among the heavy metals, chromium is the metal that is discharged as a pollutant from many industries. Due to the ease of usability, polymer and polymer composites are being explored as adsorbent materials. In this paper, different polymer-based materials were prepared and studied for the adsorption of chromium. The polymer composites and blends were prepared by the solvent casting method. The composites and blends studied are PP-g-MAH-EPDM, chitosan-lignin, chitosan- nanocellulose, chitosan-EPDM and chitosan-PP-g-MAH. Lignin and nanocellulose were synthesized in the lab. All composites are characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to understand dispersion, and homogeneity of composites and blends. Further, DSC and TGA analysis was conducted for the insights on crystalline behaviour and thermal stability, respectively. The adsorption experiment was carried out by cutting these films in 1 cm × 2 cm, thickness around 0.15 mm, and weight around 0.5 g. The films are submerged into a lab-prepared chrome solution containing a chrome concentration of about 10 ppm. The batch adsorption experiment was carried out for different contact times up to 300 min. Chitosan-based composites containing lignin and nanocellulose showed greater than 90% Cr removal and was found to be the best composites.