The Fixed Bed Study of Dye Removal on Chitosan Beads at High pH
Chitosan is a biocompatible and bioresorbable copolymer of β-(1-4) linked N-acetyl glucosamine and D-glucosamine. Various physical forms of chitosan hydrogel were investigated in this study. Chitosan membrane was biofunctionalized with whey protein and tested with 3T3 mouse fibroblast for potential applications in wound healing or skin grafting. The result showed superior cell adhesion within 2 hours of incubation whereas no cells were adhered onto the control chitosan surface. Chitosan bionanocomposite fibers were also investigated for its structural and micromechanical properties. Because of the natural cationicity of chitosan, multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) and nanohydroxyapatite (nHAP) can be well-dispersed in chitosan solution. The solution was wet-spun into fibers and tested for their micromechanical properties. Yield strength of the chitosan-MWNT composite fiber was increased with increase in MWNT content. On the contrary, the strength of chitosan-nHAP composite fiber was decreased with increase in nHAP content when nHAP was synthesized at 40ºC using phosphoric acid and calcium hydroxide.