Glycerol plasticised chitosan: A study of biodegradation via carbon dioxide evolution and nuclear magnetic resonance

Enhanced Stability of Dopamine Delivery via Hydrogel with Integrated Graphene

The synthesis of graphene-based materials for drug delivery represents an area of active research, and the use of graphene in drug delivery systems is promising due to its unique properties. Thus, in the present work, we discuss the potential of few-layer graphene in a hydrogel system for dopamine release. The hydrogels are frequently used for these systems for their special physico-chemical properties, which can ensure that the drug is effectively released in time. However, the release from such structures is mostly determined by diffusion alone, and to overcome this restriction, the hydrogel can be "improved" with nanoscale fillers like graphene. The release kinetics of the composite obtained were analyzed to better understand how the use of graphene, instead of the more common graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), affects the characteristics of the system. Thus, the systems developed in this study consist of three main components: biopolymer, graphene, and dopamine. The hydrogels with graphene were prepared by combining two different solutions, one with polyacrylic acid and agarose and one with graphene prepared by the exfoliation method with microwave irradiation. The drug delivery systems were developed by adding dopamine to the obtained hydrogels. After 24 h of release, the presence of dopamine was observed, demonstrating that the system developed can slow down the drug's degradation because of the interactions with the graphene nanoplates and the polymer matrix.

Preparation and plasticizing mechanism of deep eutectic solvent/lignin plasticized chitosan films

Chitosan (CS) is a natural biopolymer from crab shells known for its biocompatibility and biodegradability; however, CS films are extremely rigid, limiting their applications. In this study, CS composite films were prepared based on the selective dissolution of lignin by deep eutectic solvents (DES), and the toughening effect of this DES/lignin on a CS film substrate was examined, along with its corresponding mechanism. The addition of DES/lignin effectively increased the plasticity of the CS film, giving a maximum elongation at break of 62.6 % for the plasticized film, which is 12.5 times that of the CS film. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses showed that molecules in the DES/lignin complex interacted with CS to break the hydrogen bonds between the CS molecules; simultaneously, each molecule recombined with the CS molecules via hydrogen bonding. Thus, the rigidity of the CS molecular chain was weakened to achieve a plasticized CS film, thereby demonstrating the ability of DES/regenerated lignin to improve the toughness of CS films, which provides a reference for modifying plasticity and could lead to the broader utilization of CS films.

Influence of Quaternary Ammonium Salt Functionalized Chitosan Additive as Sustainable Filler for High-Density Polyethylene Composites

In this study, an antimicrobial packaging material was successfully developed with blends of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and chitosan (CS) made by melt processing. In the different HDPE/CS composites, the CS content effect (up to 40%), and the addition of quaternary ammonium salt functionalized chitosan (CS-CTAB) as an additive were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analyses (TG), tensile strength, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and antimicrobial activity. When analyzing the effect of the additive in the different HDPE/CS composites, it was observed that the compositions with 10 and 20 %wt of chitosan showed better elongation values (~13% and 10%) as well as a higher decomposition temperature at 20% mass loss (T20) varying from (321-332 °C and 302-312 °C), respectively, in relation to the other compositions, regardless of the type of additive used, it acted as an antimicrobial agent, promoting inhibition of microbial growth against the strains gram-positive and gram-negative used in this work, making the different HDPE/CS composites suitable candidates for use in food packaging.

Properties and Biodegradability of Films Based on Cellulose and Cellulose Nanocrystals from Corn Cob in Mixture with Chitosan

The increase in consumer demand for more sustainable packaging materials represents an opportunity for biopolymers utilization as an alternative to reduce the environmental impact of plastics. Cellulose (C) and chitosan (CH) are attractive biopolymers for film production due to their high abundance, biodegradability and low toxicity. The objective of this work was to incorporate cellulose nanocrystals (NC) and C extracted from corn cobs in films added with chitosan and to evaluate their properties and biodegradability. The physicochemical (water vapor barrier, moisture content, water solubility and color) and mechanical properties of the films were evaluated. Component interactions using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, surface topography by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM), biodegradability utilizing a fungal mixture and compostability by burying film discs in compost were also determined. The C-NC-CH compared to C-CH films presented a lower moisture content (17.19 ± 1.11% and 20.07 ± 1.01%; w/w, respectively) and water vapor permeability (g m−1 s−1 Pa−1 × 10−12: 1.05 ± 0.15 and 1.57 ± 0.10; w/w, respectively) associated with the NC addition. Significantly high roughness (Rq = 4.90 ± 0.98 nm) was observed in films added to NC, suggesting a decreased homogeneity. The biodegradability test showed larger fungal growth on C-CH films than on CH films (>60% and <10%, respectively) due to the antifungal properties of CH. C extracted from corn cobs resulted in a good option as an alternative packaging material, while the use of NC improved the luminosity and water barrier properties of C-CH films, promoting strong interactions due to hydrogen bonds.

A review of trends in the development of bionanocomposites from lignocellulosic and polyacids biomolecules as packing material making alternative: A bibliometric analysis

Contamination caused by the accumulation of petrochemical-based plastics has reached worrying magnitudes and led to the development of biopolymers as an option to mitigate the problem. This work thus presents a bibliometric analysis of all that concerns the development of such bionanocomposite materials, using ScientoPy and SciMAT software to establish associations between the number of published documents, countries, institutions and most relevant topics. The bionanocomposites topic was found to throw up the biggest number of documents associated (2008) with the different types of raw materials and methods used to obtain nanoparticles and their combination with biopolymeric materials, the result known as a "bionancomposite*". Analysis of the documents related to the application for development of packaging materials from biological molecules, carbohydrate polymers, compounds, conjugates, gels, glucans, hydrogels, membranes, mucilage (source unspecified), mucoadhesives, paper, polymers, polysaccharide, saccharides etc, is also presented, emphasizing mechanical, thermal and barrier properties, which, due to the inclusion of nanoparticles mainly from natural sources of cellulose, show increases of up to 30%. The inclusion of nanoparticles, especially those derived from cellulose sources, generally seeks to increase the properties of bionanocomposite materials. Regarding an increase in mechanical properties, specifically tensile strength, inclusions at percentages not exceeding 10 wt% can register increases that exceed 30% were reported.

Two Fascinating Polysaccharides: Chitosan and Starch. Some Prominent Characterizations for Applying as Eco-Friendly Food Packaging and Pollutant Remover in Aqueous Medium. Progress in Recent Years: A Review

The call to use biodegradable, eco-friendly materials is urgent. The use of biopolymers as a replacement for the classic petroleum-based materials is increasing. Chitosan and starch have been widely studied with this purpose: to be part of this replacement. The importance of proper physical characterization of these biopolymers is essential for the intended application. This review focuses on characterizations of chitosan and starch, approximately from 2017 to date, in one of their most-used applications: food packaging for chitosan and as an adsorbent agent of pollutants in aqueous medium for starch.

Dopamine-Functionalized Gellan Gum Hydrogel as a Candidate Biomaterial for a Retinal Pigment Epithelium Cell Delivery System

In this study, dopamine-functionalized gellan gum (DFG) hydrogel was prepared as a carrier for retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell delivery via a carbodiimide reaction. The carboxylic acid of gellan gum (GG) was replaced with catechol in a 21.3% yield, which was confirmed by NMR. Sol fraction and weight loss measurements revealed that dopamine improved degradability in the GG hydrogel. Measurements of the viscosity, injection force, and compressibility also showed that dopamine-functionalized GG hydrogels had more desirable rheological/mechanical properties for improving injectability. These characteristics were confirmed to arise from the GG's helix structure loosened by the dopamine's bulky nature. Moreover, dopamine's hydrophilic characteristics were confirmed to create a more favorable microenvironment for cell growth by promoting swelling capability and cell attachment. This improved biocompatibility became more pronounced when the hydrophilicity of dopamine was combined with a larger specific surface area stemming from the less porous structure of the dopamine-grafted hydrogels. This effect was apparent from the live/dead staining images of the as-prepared hydrogels. Meanwhile, the nonionic cross-linked DFG (DG) hydrogel showed the lowest protein expression in the immunofluorescence staining images obtained after 28 days of culture, supporting that it had the highest degradability and associated cell-releasing ability. That tendency was also observed in the gene expression data acquired by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. RT-PCR analysis also revealed that the DG hydrogel carrier could upregulate the visual function-related gene of RPE. Overall, the DG hydrogel system demonstrated its feasibility as a carrier of RPE cells and its potential as a means of improving visual function.

Utilization of biodegradable chitosan-derived sponges as oil retainers

An innovative approach of chitosan-derived biodegradable sponges with high sorption capacity, excellent recyclability, and inherent oleophilic properties have been developed for the first time to remove the crude oil polluting the environment. Chitosan-nitrogen mustard ionic carbonate-β-cyclodextrin (CH-NMIC-CD), chitosan-nitrogen mustard ionic carbonate (CH-NMIC), and chitosan (CH) sponges with macropores were prepared using tripolylphosphate (TPP) by adopting subsequent lyophilization. Detailed characterization such as FTIR, TGA, XRD, and SEM has been done to confirm the formation, stability, crystalline nature, and morphology of the prepared sponges. The FTIR spectra confirmed the successful incorporation of NMIC in CH-NMIC-CD and CH-NMIC and the presence of β-CD in the (CH-NMIC-CD). It was found from the TGA results that the presence of β-CD makes the sponge CH-NMIC-CD stable. SEM analysis showed the morphology of the sponges found to be highly porous with interconnected macropores. The oil absorption capacity was 12.30 g_oil/g_ns higher for the sponge CH-NMIC-CD followed by CH-NMIC and CH. The sponges showed reusability excellently even after consecutive sorption-desorption separation cycles for five times. Moreover, the sponges were completely biodegraded within 25 days. The finding holds a promising future to use CH-NMIC-CD sponges in pollutant entrapment particularly in the removal of crude oil and allied area.

Cellulose-starch Hybrid Films Plasticized by Aqueous ZnCl₂ Solution

Starch and cellulose are two typical natural polymers from plants that have similar chemical structures. The blending of these two biopolymers for materials development is an interesting topic, although how their molecular interactions could influence the conformation and properties of the resultant materials has not been studied extensively. Herein, the rheological properties of cellulose/starch/ZnCl₂ solutions were studied, and the structures and properties of cellulose-starch hybrid films were characterized. The rheological study shows that compared with starch (containing mostly amylose), cellulose contributed more to the solution's viscosity and has a stronger shear-thinning behavior. A comparison between the experimental and calculated zero-shear-rate viscosities indicates that compact complexes (interfacial interactions) formed between cellulose and starch with ≤50 wt % cellulose content, whereas a loose structure (phase separation) existed with ≥70 wt % cellulose content. For starch-rich hybrid films prepared by compression molding, less than 7 wt % of cellulose was found to improve the mechanical properties despite the reduced crystallinity of the starch; for cellulose-rich hybrid films, a higher content of starch reduced the material properties, although the chemical interactions were not apparently influenced. It is concluded that the mechanical properties of biopolymer films were mainly affected by the structural conformation, as indicated by the rheological results.

HDPE/Chitosan Blends Modified with Organobentonite Synthesized with Quaternary Ammonium Salt Impregnated Chitosan

In this study, blends based on a high density polyethylene (HDPE) and chitosan (CS) were successfully prepared by melt processing, in a laboratory internal mixer. The CS biopolymer content effect (up to maximum of 40%), and, the addition of bentonite clay modified with quaternary ammonium salt (CTAB) impregnated chitosan as a compatibilizing agent, on the properties of the blends was analyzed by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analyses (TG), tensile strength, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The use of clay modified with CTAB impregnated chitosan, employing a method developed here, improved the compatibility of HDPE with chitosan, and therefore the thermal and some of the mechanical properties were enhanced, making HDPE/chitosan blends suitable candidates for food packaging. It was possible to obtain products of synthetic polymer, HDPE, with natural polymer, chitosan, using a method very used industrially, with acceptable and more friendly properties to the environment, when compared to conventional synthetic polymers. In addition, due to the possibility of impregnated chitosan with quaternary ammonium salt exhibit higher antibacterial activity than neat chitosan, the HDPE/chitosan/organobentonite blends may be potentially applied in food containers to favor the preservation of food for a longer time in comparison to conventional materials.

Biodegradability of Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate/Bacterial Cellulose Composites under Aerobic Conditions, Measured via Evolution of Carbon Dioxide and Spectroscopic and Diffraction Methods

Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and bacterial cellulose (BC) are both natural polymeric materials that have the potential to replace traditional, nonrenewable polymers. In particular, the nanofibrillar form of bacterial cellulose makes it an effective reinforcement for PHB. Neat PHB, bacterial cellulose, and a composite of PHB/BC produced with 10 wt % cellulose were composted under accelerated aerobic test conditions, with biodegradability measured by the carbon dioxide evolution method, in conjunction with spectroscopic and diffraction methods to assess crystallinity changes during the biodegradation process. The PHB/BC composite biodegraded at a greater rate and extent than that of PHB alone, reaching 80% degradation after 30 days, whereas PHB did not reach this level of degradation until close to 50 days of composting. The relative crystallinity of PHB and PHB in the PHB/BC composite was found to increase in the initial weeks of degradation, with degradation occurring primarily in the amorphous region of the material and some recrystallization of the amorphous PHB. Small angle X-ray scattering indicates that the change in PHB crystallinity is accompanied by a change in morphology of semicrystalline lamellae. The increased rate of biodegradability suggests that these materials could be applicable to single-use applications and could rapidly biodegrade in compost on disposal.