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Advances in Chitin/Chitosan-Based Polymer Materials

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A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomacromolecules, Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 21202

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Min-Lang Tsai

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Guest Editor

Department of Food Science, National Taiwan Ocean University, 2 Pei-Ning Road, Keelung 20224, Taiwan
Interests: chitin; chitosan; food processing; polysaccharide

Prof. Dr. Shang-Ta Wang

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Agricultural Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
2. Hughes Biotechnology Co. Ltd., Taipei 110, Taiwan
Interests: food chemistry; biopolymers; food processing; nutrikinetics

Prof. Dr. Er-Yuan Chuang

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Guest Editor

Graduate Institute of Biomedical Materials & Tissue Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
Interests: biomaterials; drug delivery; tissue engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are inviting submissions to a Special Issue of the journal Polymers on “Advances in Chitin/Chitosan-Based Polymer Materials”. A growing body of research focuses on exploring novel polymer materials, which has a rising demand for using low toxicity and biocompatible substances. Chitin and chitosan are well-known biopolymers with unique properties and a broad array of functions, which meets the need for development in practical applications. Therefore, they have been used in many fields, such as biomedicine, agriculture, food and nutrition, water purification, papermaking, textiles, etc. The challenges in developing novel chitin/chitosan-based materials may include the construction of polymer matrix composites, modification of the physical and chemical structure, surface functionalization, as well as the exploration of further applications.

We welcome authors to contribute original research as well review articles with novelty, related to polymer materials research based on chitin, chitosan and its derivatives, or composites.

Prof. Dr. Min-Lang Tsai
Prof. Dr. Shang-Ta Wang
Prof. Dr. Er-Yuan Chuang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

chitin
chitosan
biocompatible polymers
biodegradable polymers
hydrogel
scaffold
composite
chemical modification

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 9135 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Viscoelastic and Properties of Amphiphilic Chitin in Plasticised Polylactic Acid/Starch Biocomposite

by N. G. Olaiya, C. Maraveas, Mohamed A. Salem, S. Raja, Ahmad Rashedi, Abdullah Y. Alzahrani, Zeinhom M. El-Bahy and Funmilayo G. Olaiya

Polymers 2022, 14(11), 2268; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14112268 - 02 Jun 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2197

Abstract

The enhancement of the PLA thermomechanical properties is significant due to its suitability as a replacement for primary synthetic polymer use in diverse industrial production. The amphiphilic chitin was used as a compatibilizer in PLA/starch biocomposite. The properties of plasticised polylactic acid blended with starch, and amphiphilic chitin was studied for enhanced thermomechanical and viscoelastic properties. Chitin was modified using acetylated substitution reaction and blended with plasticised PLA/starch biocomposite. The biocomposite was prepared with combined compression and melt extrusion techniques. The biocomposite’s thermomechanical, thermal, mechanical, and morphological properties were studied using dynamic mechanical analysis, TGA-DSC, tensile test, and scanning electron microscopy. The storage and loss modulus were significantly enhanced with increased amphiphilic chitin content. Similarly, the single peak of tan delta showed good miscibility of the polymeric blend. Additionally, the modulus increases with frequency change from 1 Hz to 10 Hz. The thermal stability of the biocomposite was observed to be lower than the neat PLA. The tensile properties of the biocomposite increased significantly more than the neat PLA, with P4S4C having the highest tensile strength and modulus of 87 MPa and 7600 MPa. The SEM images show good miscibility with no significant void in the fractured surface. The viscoelastic properties of PLA were enhanced considerably with plasticizer and amphiphilic chitin with improved biodegradability. The properties of the biocomposite can be adapted for various industrial applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Chitin/Chitosan-Based Polymer Materials)

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15 pages, 1715 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Formulation and Evaluation of Chitosan/NaCl/Maltodextrin Microparticles as a Saltiness Enhancer: Study on the Optimization of Excipients for the Spray-Drying Process

by Shang-Ta Wang, Yi-Ying Lu and Min-Lang Tsai

Polymers 2021, 13(24), 4302; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13244302 - 09 Dec 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2554

Abstract

Spray-dried chitosan/NaCl/maltodextrin microparticles have the potential to be used to enhance saltiness; however, its notable hygroscopicity results in handling and storage problems, thus limiting its application. In the present study, we attempted to introduce maltodextrin, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), and waxy starch (WS) as excipients into the spray drying formulation of microparticles to reduce the cohesiveness and caking behavior and improve the yield simultaneously by ameliorating the moisture absorption tendency. The prepared microparticles showed a spherical appearance and had particle sizes ranging from 6.29 to 7.64 μm, while the sizes of the NaCl crystals embedded in the microparticles were 0.36 to 1.24 μm. The crystalline reflections of WS and MCC were retained in the microparticles after the spray-drying process. The handling properties were assessed to be acceptable. The formulation with only maltodextrin as the excipient showed a high moisture absorption rate of 2.83 g/100 g·h and a caking strength of 3.27 kg. The addition of MCC and WS significantly reduced the hygroscopic rate and caking strength. The spray-dried products provided better saltiness perception than native NaCl; as such, they may be promising for seasoning dry food products to achieve sodium intake reduction in the food industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Chitin/Chitosan-Based Polymer Materials)

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14 pages, 9858 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Temperature Effect of Water Coagulation Bath on Chitin Fiber Prepared through Wet-Spinning Process

by Khoa Dang Nguyen

Polymers 2021, 13(12), 1909; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13121909 - 08 Jun 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2757

Abstract

Chitin was chemically extracted from crab shell waste and dissolved in N,N-dimethyl acetamine/5% lithium chloride (DMAc/5% LiCl) at room temperature to obtain 1% and 2% concentrations of chitin solution. Chitin fibers were prepared by phase inversion at different temperatures of water coagulation bath at 5, 20, and 60 °C. The deconvolution of FTIR spectra indicated that the area portion of the intermolecular hydrogen bonding NH^…OC increased at 60 °C due to the higher density of the chitin segment in the fiber. As a result, scanning electron microscope (SEM) measurement suggests that a denser structure of the chitin fiber was observed when the temperature of the coagulation bath increased. In addition, the resultant chitin fibers generated better mechanical properties relative to the amount of chitin concentration and temperature. At 2% of chitin solution, the tensile strength significantly increased from 80 to 182 MPa for the fiber obtained at temperatures of 5 and 60 °C of the water coagulation bath, respectively. Meanwhile, the water content in the fiber significantly decreased from 1101% to 335%. This green synthesis route has high potential for the fabrication of the fiber as future material of interest for biomedical application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Chitin/Chitosan-Based Polymer Materials)

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Review

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22 pages, 3204 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Chitosan/Silk Fibroin Materials for Biomedical Applications—A Review

by Anna Tuwalska, Sylwia Grabska-Zielińska and Alina Sionkowska

Polymers 2022, 14(7), 1343; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14071343 - 26 Mar 2022

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3992

Abstract

This review provides a report on recent advances in the field of chitosan (CTS) and silk fibroin (SF) biopolymer blends as new biomaterials. Chitosan and silk fibroin are widely used to obtain biomaterials. However, the materials based on the blends of these two biopolymers have not been summarized in a review paper yet. As these materials can attract both academic and industrial attention, we propose this review paper to showcase the latest achievements in this area. In this review, the latest literature regarding the preparation and properties of chitosan and silk fibroin and their blends has been reviewed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Chitin/Chitosan-Based Polymer Materials)

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31 pages, 74431 KiB

Open AccessReview

Chitosan Functionalization: Covalent and Non-Covalent Interactions and Their Characterization

by Laura Nicolle, Céline M. A. Journot and Sandrine Gerber-Lemaire

Polymers 2021, 13(23), 4118; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13234118 - 26 Nov 2021

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 5774

Abstract

Chitosan (CS) is a natural biopolymer that has gained great interest in many research fields due to its promising biocompatibility, biodegradability, and favorable mechanical properties. The versatility of this low-cost polymer allows for a variety of chemical modifications via covalent conjugation and non-covalent interactions, which are designed to further improve the properties of interest. This review aims at presenting the broad range of functionalization strategies reported over the last five years to reflect the state-of-the art of CS derivatization. We start by describing covalent modifications performed on the CS backbone, followed by non-covalent CS modifications involving small molecules, proteins, and metal adjuvants. An overview of CS-based systems involving both covalent and electrostatic modification patterns is then presented. Finally, a special focus will be given on the characterization techniques commonly used to qualify the composition and physical properties of CS derivatives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Chitin/Chitosan-Based Polymer Materials)

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29 pages, 2688 KiB

Open AccessReview

A State-of-the-Art Review on Biowaste Derived Chitosan Biomaterials for Biosorption of Organic Dyes: Parameter Studies, Kinetics, Isotherms and Thermodynamics

by Yean Ling Pang, Jia Hui Tan, Steven Lim and Woon Chan Chong

Polymers 2021, 13(17), 3009; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13173009 - 06 Sep 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2628

Abstract

Chitosan is a second-most abundant biopolymer on earth after cellulose. Its unique properties have recently received particular attention from researchers to be used as a potential biosorbent for the removal of organic dyes. However, pure chitosan has some limitations that exhibit lower biosorption capacity, surface area and thermal stability than chitosan composites. The reinforcement materials used for the synthesis of chitosan composites were carbon-based materials, metal oxides and other biopolymers. This paper reviews the effects of several factors such as pH, biosorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, contact time and temperature when utilizing chitosan-based materials as biosorbent for removing of organic dyes from contaminated water. The behaviour of the biosorption process for various chitosan composites was compared and analysed through the kinetic models, isotherm models and thermodynamic parameters. The findings revealed that pseudo-second-order (PSO) and Langmuir isotherm models were best suited for describing most of the biosorption processes or organic dyes. This indicated that monolayer chemisorption of organic dyes occurred on the surface of chitosan composites. Most of the biosorption processes were endothermic, feasible and spontaneous at the low temperature range between 288 K and 320 K. Therefore, chitosan composites were proven to be a promising biosorbent for the removal of organic dyes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Chitin/Chitosan-Based Polymer Materials)

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