Synthesize of self-electrostatic interaction chitosan-carrageenan membrane and its properties

Abstract

The preparation of polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) based on bio-composite materials often requires crosslinking agents to achieve the desired stability and properties of the material formed. PEC with opposite charges has the advantage in self-crosslinking through electrostatic interactions. Chitosan is a positively charged polysaccharide with -NH3+ group while κappa-carrageenan is a negatively charged polysaccharide with -OSO3- group. This work focused on synthesizing chitosan-carrageenan membrane and determining its characteristics. The membrane was prepared by interacting chitosan and carrageenan hydrosols at a pH of 5. The obtained chitosan-carrageenan membrane had better physical-mechanical properties, including tensile strength (load), elongation (strain), and elasticity (modulus young), adsorption, and resistance of water, than the constituent polymers. The FTIR spectra indicated the presence of self interaction in membrane between protonated amine groups of chitosan and sulfate groups of carrageenan. The difference in surface morphology among chitosan-carrageenan membrane and its constituent membranes was confirmed by SEM analysis.