Diffusion of metal ions through gel chitosan membranes

Design and Manufacture of Bone Cements Based on Calcium Sulfate Hemihydrate and Mg, Sr-Doped Bioactive Glass

In the present study, a novel composite bone cement based on calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CSH) and Mg, Sr-containing bioactive glass (BG) as solid phase, and solution of chitosan as liquid phase were developed. The phase composition, morphology, setting time, injectability, viscosity, and cellular responses of the composites with various contents of BG (0, 10, 20, and 30 wt.%) were investigated. The pure calcium sulfate cement was set at approximately 180 min, whereas the setting time was drastically decreased to 6 min by replacing 30 wt.% glass powder for CSH in the cement solid phase. BG changed the microscopic morphology of the set cement and decreased the size and compaction of the precipitated gypsum phase. Replacing the CSH phase with BG increased injection force of the produced cement; however, all the cements were injected at a nearly constant force, lower than 20 N. The viscosity measurements in oscillatory mode determined the shear-thinning behavior of the pastes. Although the viscosity of the pastes increased with increasing BG content, it was influenced by the frequency extent. Pure calcium sulfate cement exhibited some transient cytotoxicity on human-derived bone mesenchymal stem cells and it was compensated by introducing BG phase. Moreover, BG improved the cell proliferation and mineralization of extracellular matrix as shown by calcein measurements. The results indicate the injectable composite cement comprising 70 wt.% CSH and 30 wt.% Mg, Sr-doped BG has better setting, mechanical and cellular behaviors and hence, is a potential candidate for bone repair, however more animal and human clinical evaluations are essential.

Modular Synthesis and Patterning of High-Stiffness Networks by Postpolymerization Functionalization with Iron–Catechol Complexes

Bioinspired iron-catechol cross-links have shown remarkable success in increasing the mechanical properties of polymer networks, in part due to clustering of Fe³⁺-catechol domains which act as secondary network reinforcing sites. We report a versatile synthetic procedure to prepare modular PEG-acrylate networks with independently tunable covalent bis(acrylate) and supramolecular Fe³⁺-catechol cross-linking. Initial control of network structure is achieved through radical polymerization and cross-linking, followed by postpolymerization incorporation of catechol units via quantitative active ester chemistry and subsequent complexation with iron salts. By tuning the ratio of each building block, dual cross-linked networks reinforced by clustered iron-catechol domains are prepared and exhibit a wide range of properties (Young's moduli up to ∼245 MPa), well beyond the values achieved through purely covalent cross-linking. This stepwise approach to mixed covalent and metal-ligand cross-linked networks also permits local patterning of PEG-based films through masking techniques forming distinct hard, soft, and gradient regions.

How the Addition of Chitosan Affects the Transport and Rheological Properties of Agarose Hydrogels

Agarose hydrogels enriched by chitosan were studied from a point of view diffusion and the immobilization of metal ions. Copper was used as a model metal with a high affinity to chitosan. The influence of interactions between copper and chitosan on transport properties was investigated. Effective diffusion coefficients were determined and compared with values obtained from pure agarose hydrogel. Their values increased with the amount of chitosan added to agarose hydrogel and the lowest addition caused the decrease in diffusivity in comparison with hydrogel without chitosan. Liesegang patterns were observed in the hydrogels with higher contents of chitosan. The patterns were more distinct if the chitosan content increased. The formation of Liesegang patterns caused a local decrease in the concentration of copper ions and concentration profiles were affected by this phenomenon. Thus, the values of effective diffusion coefficient covered the influences of pore structure of hydrogels and the interactions between chitosan and metal ions, including precipitation on observed Liesegang rings. From the point of view of rheology, the addition of chitosan resulted in changes in storage and loss moduli, which can show on a "more liquid" character of enriched hydrogels. It can contribute to the increase in the effective diffusion coefficients for hydrogels with higher content of chitosan.

Nano Modifications of Biochar to Enhance Heavy Metal Adsorption from Wastewaters: A Review

Biochar (BC) is a carbon-rich material that can be obtained by thermal decomposition of agricultural solid waste under oxygen-limited conditions. It has received increasing attention as a cost-effective sorbent to treat metal-contaminated water due to attributes such as high porosity and the presence of various functional groups. The heavy metal (HM) sorption and removal capacity of BC can be enhanced by developing novel biochar nanohybrids (BNHs) that can be produced via surface modification of BC with nanomaterials. Loading of nanomaterials on the biochar surface can improve its physicochemical properties through alterations in the functional group profile, porosity, and availability of active sites on the BC surface which can enhance the HM adsorption ability. This manuscript provides information on preparation of nano-based biochar hybrids emanating from the type of modifying agent for the removal of different HM ions from wastewaters, and the underlying mechanisms have been discussed. Further, this compilation discusses published literature depicting the influence of different processes of preparation on the physicochemical properties and adsorption capacity of nanobiochar hybrids. The potential risks of BNHs have been reviewed to effectively avoid the possible harmful impacts on the environment, and future research directions have been proposed.

Fabrication and Characterization of Poly (Vinyl Alcohol)-Chitosan-Capped Silver Nanoparticle Hybrid Membranes for Pervaporation Dehydration of Ethanol

Chitosan-capped silver nanoparticle (CS-capped AgNPs)-incorporated Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hybrid membranes were prepared by a solution-casting technique for ethanol dehydration via pervaporation. The incorporation of CS-capped AgNPs into the PVA membrane and its influence on membrane properties and pervaporation-separation process of azeotropic water/ethanol mixture was studied. The addition of CS-capped AgNPs into the PVA membrane reduced the crystallinity, thereby increasing the hydrophilicity and swelling degree of the hybrid membrane, supported by contact angle (CA) analyzer and swelling degree experiments, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) demonstrated the formation of polymeric matrix between PVA and CS and also the binding of AgNPs onto the functional group of CS and PVA, which was also reflected in the microstructure images demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and by 2θ angle of wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). The effect of CS-capped AgNPs on the thermal stability of the hybrid membrane was demonstrated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). These characteristics of the hybrid membrane positively impact the efficiency of the dehydration of ethanol, as indicated by pervaporation experiments. The best performances in total flux (12.40 ± 0.20 × 10⁻² kg/m² h) and selectivity (3612.33 ± 6.03) at 30 °C were shown for CS-capped AgNPs PVA hybrid membrane containing 2 wt.% CS-capped AgNPs (M-4). This confirms that the developed hybrid membranes can be efficiently used to separate water from azeotropic aqueous ethanol.

A resonance Rayleigh scattering method for sensitive detection of chitosan based on supramolecular complex and mechanism study

A convenient and sensitive resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) method for the detection of chitosan (CTS) has been developed via forming Cu-Zn supramolecular complex by complexation reaction, hydrophobic force and electrostatic attraction. The microstructure of the complex was characterized by FT-IR, zeta potential, scanning electron microscope (SEM), UV-vis and RRS. Furthermore, the interaction mechanism among Cu(II), Zn(II), CTS and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) was studied. The results revealed that CTS and Cu(II) or Zn(II) formed a supramolecular complex with RRS enhancement in weak acid condition. In the presence of SDBS, the RRS intensity of CTS-Cu(II)-SDBS or CTS-Zn(II)-SDBS was significantly higher than that of the binary system without SDBS at the same CTS concentration. The RRS intensity of CTS-Cu(II)-Zn(II)-SDBS was higher than that of CTS-Cu(II)-SDBS and CTS-Zn(II)-SDBS. The RRS intensity increased linearly with the increase of CTS concentration made it possible to determine CTS quantitatively. In the range extending from 0.10 to 5.00 μg/mL, the equation of linear regression was ΔI=1848.8c-138.3 with a correlation coefficient 0.9996, and the detection limit was estimated to be 37.96 ng/mL. The study was successfully applied for the determination of CTS in health food samples, suggesting its great potential toward CTS analysis.

Adsorptive Removal of Heavy Metal Ions, Organic Dyes, and Pharmaceuticals by DNA-Chitosan Hydrogels

DNA-chitosan (DNA-CS) hydrogel was prepared by in situ complexation between oppositely charged DNA and chitosan polyelectrolytes via electrostatic cross-linking to study its adsorption characteristics. The DNA-chitosan hydrogel matrix contains (i) cationic (NH3+) and anionic (PO4-) sites for electrostatic binding with ionic species, (ii) -OH and -NH2 groups and heteroaromatic DNA nucleobases for chelation of heavy metal ions, and (iii) DNA double-helix for recognition and binding to small organic molecules of various structures and polarities. DNA-CS hydrogels efficiently bind with Hg2+, Pb2+, Cd2+, and Cu2+ metal cations of significant environmental concern. Adsorption capacities of DNA-CS hydrogels for studied metal ions depend on hydrogel composition and pH of solution and reach ca. 50 mg/g at neutral pHs. Hydrogels with higher DNA contents show better adsorption characteristics and notably higher adsorption capacity to Hg2+ ions. Because of the co-existence of cationic and anionic macromolecules in the DNA-CS hydrogel, it demonstrates an affinity to both anionic (Congo Red) and cationic (Methylene Blue) dyes with moderate adsorption capacities of 12.6 mg/g and 29.0 mg/g, respectively. DNA-CS hydrogel can also be used for adsorptive removal of pharmaceuticals on conditions that their molecules are sufficiently hydrophobic and have ionogenic group(s). Facile preparation and multitarget adsorption characteristics of DNA-CS hydrogel coupled with sustainable and environmentally friendly characteristics render this system promising for environmental cleaning applications.

Factors Influencing the Antibacterial Activity of Chitosan and Chitosan Modified by Functionalization

The biomedical and therapeutic importance of chitosan and chitosan derivatives is the subject of interdisciplinary research. In this analysis, we intended to consolidate some of the recent discoveries regarding the potential of chitosan and its derivatives to be used for biomedical and other purposes. Why chitosan? Because chitosan is a natural biopolymer that can be obtained from one of the most abundant polysaccharides in nature, which is chitin. Compared to other biopolymers, chitosan presents some advantages, such as accessibility, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and no toxicity, expressing significant antibacterial potential. In addition, through chemical processes, a high number of chitosan derivatives can be obtained with many possibilities for use. The presence of several types of functional groups in the structure of the polymer and the fact that it has cationic properties are determinant for the increased reactive properties of chitosan. We analyzed the intrinsic properties of chitosan in relation to its source: the molecular mass, the degree of deacetylation, and polymerization. We also studied the most important extrinsic factors responsible for different properties of chitosan, such as the type of bacteria on which chitosan is active. In addition, some chitosan derivatives obtained by functionalization and some complexes formed by chitosan with various metallic ions were studied. The present research can be extended in order to analyze many other factors than those mentioned. Further in this paper were discussed the most important factors that influence the antibacterial effect of chitosan and its derivatives. The aim was to demonstrate that the bactericidal effect of chitosan depends on a number of very complex factors, their knowledge being essential to explain the role of each of them for the bactericidal activity of this biopolymer.

Applications of chitosan in environmental remediation: A review

Environmental biotechnology is the use of biotechnology to develop and regulate biological systems for the remediation of environmental contamination. Nature has gifted ample material for remediation of its resources, among which chitosan is one of the most important and largely available biomaterial globally. Chitosan is a biopolymer obtained by deacetylation of chitin extracted from marine waste and its applications from drug delivery to food additives are broadly available. Chitosan exhibit several properties such as availability, low cost, high biocompatibility, and biodegradability. These properties make it biologically and chemically acceptable for use in various fields. Due to some limitations of pure chitosan, there has been a growing interest in modifying the chitosan in order to improve the original properties and widen the applications of pure phase chitosan. Various modified forms of chitosan and their associated applications are reviewed here with emphasis on their use in environmental remediation. The demand of chitosan in the global industrial market is growing which is briefly explained in this paper. Chitosan is used for water purification since a long time and still progress is going on for making it more efficient in the removal process. It can be used as a flocculent and coagulant, as an adsorbent for removing the contaminants like heavy metals, dyes, pesticides, antibiotics, biological contaminants from wastewater. Soil remediation using chitosan material is explained in this review. Various other applications such as drug delivery, food additives, tissue engineering are thoroughly reviewed.

Starch, cellulose, pectin, gum, alginate, chitin and chitosan derived (nano)materials for sustainable water treatment: A review

Natural biopolymers, polymeric organic molecules produced by living organisms and/or renewable resources, are considered greener, sustainable, and eco-friendly materials. Natural polysaccharides comprising cellulose, chitin/chitosan, starch, gum, alginate, and pectin are sustainable materials owing to their outstanding structural features, abundant availability, and nontoxicity, ease of modification, biocompatibility, and promissing potentials. Plentiful polysaccharides have been utilized for making assorted (nano)catalysts in recent years; fabrication of polysaccharides-supported metal/metal oxide (nano)materials is one of the effective strategies in nanotechnology. Water is one of the world's foremost environmental stress concerns. Nanomaterial-adorned polysaccharides-based entities have functioned as novel and more efficient (nano)catalysts or sorbents in eliminating an array of aqueous pollutants and contaminants, including ionic metals and organic/inorganic pollutants from wastewater. This review encompasses recent advancements, trends and challenges for natural biopolymers assembled from renewable resources for exploitation in the production of starch, cellulose, pectin, gum, alginate, chitin and chitosan-derived (nano)materials.

A study of the structural changes in a chitosan matrix produced by the adsorption of copper and chromium ions

A study of the structural changes at micro- and nano-scale in a chitosan matrix after the adsorption of different metal ions is presented. Toward this aim, samples of chitosan films soaked in different concentrations of copper(II) and chromium(VI) aqueous solutions were prepared. Cu and Cr ions were selected as sorbates since they have different ionic properties. The effect of the adsorbed metal ions on the microstructure of the chitosan matrices were studied using Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. To go further into the study of the samples at the molecular level, the nuclear technique positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy was used. Results are discussed in terms of the interaction between the metal ions and the chitosan functional groups.

Measurement and mitigation of free convection in microfluidic gradient generators

Microfluidic gradient generators are used to study the movement of living cells, lipid vesicles, and colloidal particles in response to spatial variations in their local chemical environment. Such gradient driven motions are often slow (less than 1 μm s-1) and therefore influenced or disrupted by fluid flows accompanying the formation and maintenance of the applied gradient. Even when external flows are carefully eliminated, the solute gradient itself can drive fluid motions due to combinations of gravitational body forces and diffusioosmotic surface forces. Here, we develop a microfluid gradient generator based on the in situ formation of biopolymer membranes and quantify the fluid flows induced by steady solute gradients. The measured velocity profiles agree quantitatively with those predicted by analytical approximations of relevant hydrodynamic models. We discuss how the speed of gradient-driven flows depends on system parameters such as the gradient magnitude, the fluid viscosity, the channel dimensions, and the solute type. These results are useful in identifying and mitigating undesired flows within microfluidic gradient systems.

In vitro evaluation of chitosan copper chelate gels as a multimicronutrient feed additive for cattle

BACKGROUND

Effective micronutrient supplementation strategies are critical to ensure optimal health and productivity in livestock. The objective of this study was to develop a copper and vitamin (multimicronutrient) delivery system based on chitosan gel beads, and test its suitability, in vitro, for use as a cattle feed additive.

RESULTS

Chitosan was chelated with copper sulfate to produce millimetre-scale gel matrices (∼2 mm). The copper content was significantly increased (from 61 to 95 mg g by adjusting pH to alkaline conditions post bead formation. The beads could subsequently be loaded with the model vitamin riboflavin to levels as high as 324 µg g^-1 beads. Restricted rehydration of the dried gel matrices in simulated rumen fluid led to a sustained release of riboflavin with no copper released in these neutral conditions for up to 24 h, demonstrating copper rumen bypass. Moreover, sustained release of the mineral was observed in abomasal conditions of pH 2 over a 3 h period.

CONCLUSIONS

The matrices showed rumen bypass for copper yet supplied nutritionally relevant levels of the free mineral in abomasal conditions, as required for effective supplementation in cattle. The controlled-release properties demonstrated by the matrices indicate their potential as a multimicronutrient functional feed additive to enhance cattle nutrition and productivity. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Carbon dots rooted agarose hydrogel hybrid platform for optical detection and separation of heavy metal ions

A robust solid sensing platform for an on-site operational and accurate detection of heavy metal is still a challenge. We introduce chitosan based carbon dots rooted agarose hydrogel film as a hybrid solid sensing platform for detection of heavy metal ions. The fabrication of the solid sensing platform is centered on simple electrostatic interaction between the NH3+ group present in the carbon dots and the OH- groups present in agarose. Simply on dipping the hydrogel film strip into the heavy metal ion solution, in particular Cr6+, Cu2+, Fe3+, Pb2+, Mn2+, the strip displays a color change, viz., Cr6+→yellow, Cu2+→blue, Fe3+→brown, Pb2+→white, Mn2+→tan brown. The optical detection limit of the respective metal ion is found to be 1 pM for Cr6+, 0.5 μM for Cu2+, and 0.5 nM for Fe3+, Pb2+, and Mn2+ by studying the changes in UV-visible reflectance spectrum of the hydrogel film. Moreover, the hydrogel film finds applicability as an efficient filtration membrane for separation of these quintet heavy metal ions. The strategic fundamental feature of this sensing platform is the successful capability of chitosan to form colored chelates with transition metals. This proficient hybrid hydrogel solid sensing platform is thus the most suitable to employ as an on-site operational, portable, cheap colorimetric-optical detector of heavy metal ion with potential skill in their separation. Details of the possible mechanistic insight into the colorimetric detection and ion separation are also discussed.

Facilitated transport of CO2 through novel imidazole-containing chitosan derivative/PES membranes

Here, a new imidazole alkyl derivative of chitosan (Im-CS) is synthesized and characterized by FT-IR and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. This derivative was blended with polyethersulfone (PES) to fabricate newly integrally skinned PES membranes.

Pre-concentration procedure based on chitosan combined with ionic liquid for the determination of cobalt, nickel, and copper in water samples

An environmentally friendly analytical procedure of pre-concentration of cobalt, nickel, and copper according to the rules of green chemistry has been developed. The proposed method is based on using chitosan for sorption of trace elements from water samples. The novel modification of the sorption process is the combination of an ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [BMIM][PF6]) with chitosan. Ionic liquid partly decreases the crystallinity of the chitosan. The crystalline regions of the polymer are not accessible to metal ions. Although the ionic liquid cannot completely disrupt the crystalline domains of chitosan, it may gain in the reactive groups of the chitosan, even at the center of the particle. Consequently, the sorption of metal ions by chitosan is significantly improved. In this paper, adsorption characteristics of cobalt, nickel, and copper using newly developed sorption are studied. The effect of pH and time of chitosan activation, as well as sorption, salt concentration, some metals ion concentrations, and the amount of adsorbent on the extent of adsorption, are investigated. Chitosan with adsorbed metal ions was dissolved in acetic acid. After evaporation a solvent film formed and was then analyzed using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF). As it meets the criterion of thin samples for XRF analysis, the matrix effects can be neglected. With the proposed procedure we obtained detection limits of 7 ng mL(-1) for cobalt, 5 ng mL(-1) for nickel, and 4 ng mL(-1) for copper.

Adsorption of chitosan onto carbonaceous surfaces and its application: atomic force microscopy study

The adsorption of chitosan onto highly ordered pyrolytic graphite(HOPG) surfaces and its applications have been studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results indicated that chitosan topography formed on the HOPG surface significantly depends on the pH conditions and its concentration for the incubation. Under strongly acidic conditions (pH < 3.5) and at a concentration of 1 mg ml⁻¹, chitosan formed into uniform network structures composed of fine chains. When the solution pH was changed from 3.5 to 6.5, chitosan tends to form a thicker film. Under neutral and basic conditions, chitosan changed into spherical nanoparticles, and their sizes were increased with increasing pH. Dendritic structures have been observed when the chitosan concentration was increased up to 5 mg ml⁻¹. In addition, the chitosan topography can also be influenced by ionic strength and the addition of different metal ions. When 0.1 M metal ions Na+, Mg²+, Ca²+ and Cu²+ were added into the chitosan solution at pH 3.0 for the incubation, network structures, branched chains, block structures and dense networks attached with many small particles were observed, respectively. The potential applications of these chitosan structures on HOPG have been explored. Preliminary results characterized by AFM and XPS indicated that the chitosan network formed on the HOPG surface can be used for AFM lithography, selective adsorption of gold nanoparticles and DNA molecules.

Ethylenesulfide as a useful agent for incorporation into the biopolymer chitosan in a solvent-free reaction for use in cation removal

Chitosan (Ch) was chemically modified with ethylenesulfide (Es) under solvent-free conditions to give (ChEs), displaying a high content of thiol groups due to opening of the three member cyclic reagent. Elemental analysis showed a decrease in nitrogen content. This result indicated the incorporation of two ethylenesulfide molecules for each unit of the polymeric structure of the precursor biopolymer. Infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, and (13)C NMR in the solid state demonstrated the effectiveness of the reaction, with signals at 30 ppm for ChEs due to the change in the methylene group environment. Divalent metal uptake by chemically modified biopolymer gave the order Cu>Ni>Co>Zn, reflecting the corresponding acidity of these cations in bonding to the sulfur and the basic nitrogen atoms available on the pendant chains. The equilibrium data were fitted to Freundlich, Temkin, and Langmuir models. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity for the cations was found to be 1.54+/-0.02, 1.25+/-0.03, 1.13+/-0.01, and 0.83+/-0.03 mmol g(-1), respectively. The Langmuir model best explained the cation-sulfur bond interactions at the solid-liquid interface. The thermodynamics for these interactions gave exothermic enthalpic values of -43.02+/-0.03, -28.72+/-0.02, -26.27+/-0.04, and -17.32+/-0.02 kJ mol(-1), respectively. The spontaneity of the systems is given by negative Gibbs free energies of -31.2+/-0.1, -32.7+/-0.1, -31.7+/-0.1, and -32.2+/-0.1 kJ mol(-1), respectively, in spite of the unfavorable negative entropic values of -39+/-1, -13+/-1, -18+/-1, and -49+/-1 J K(-1)mol(-1) due to solvent ordering in the course of complexation. This newly synthesized biopolymer is presented as a chemically useful material for cation removal from aqueous solution.