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Fabrication and properties of cellulose-nanochitosan biocomposite film using ionic liquid

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Abstract

Chitosan is a widely used biopolymer with very attractive properties. However, to compensate for the deficiencies in the application of this bio-macromolecule, many studies have been performed on the preparation of chitosan blends with various polymers, such as cellulose, which is abundant and unique with a tough bio-structure. Because of the different dissolution conditions of chitosan and cellulose, an acceptable industrial and environmentally friendly process to prepare a monotonous cellulose-chitosan composite film has not been achieved yet. Therefore, as an alternative approach, nanochitosan (Nano-CS) particles were synthesized and blended with a cellulose matrix, which was dissolved using ionic liquid. Atomic force microscope and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images demonstrated that the most frequent size of Nano-CS particles was in the 10–60 nm range. FESEM nano-graphs evidenced monotonous distribution of Nano-CS particles through the produced nano-biocomposite films. X-ray diffractograms indicated that following the dissolution process of cellulose a less ordered cellulose matrix or one with less crystallite sizes was formed. Meanwhile, following the addition of certain amounts of Nano-CS, the mechanical properties were improved. Also, optical analysis exhibited proper transparency of the biocomposite films (≈80 %) in the range of visible wavelengths (400–700 nm).

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) for financial support (no. 93040808) and Tarbiat Modares University (TMU) for providing research laboratory equipment. Also, the authors are grateful to Dr. Hossein Yousefi, Dr. Nader Bahramifar and Mehdi Abdollahi for scientific consultation.

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  1. Department of Wood and Paper Science and Technology, Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Iran

    Farzam Niroomand & Amir Khosravani

  2. Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Iran

    Habibollah Younesi

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  1. Farzam Niroomand
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  2. Amir Khosravani
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Correspondence to Amir Khosravani.

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Niroomand, F., Khosravani, A. & Younesi, H. Fabrication and properties of cellulose-nanochitosan biocomposite film using ionic liquid. Cellulose 23, 1311–1324 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-016-0872-7

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